It's All Downhill From Here
by MisfiredSynapse
Summary: Piper Sedona has survived seven years of Hogwarts; so life can only get better after the hectic rush of her Seventh Year, right? Wrong. The real world is full of trials, tests and tears. It’s all downhill from here. SSOC
1. Truths

_It's All Downhill From Here_

_Piper Sedona has survived seven years of Hogwarts; so life can only get better after the hectic rush of her Seventh Year, right? Wrong. The real world is full of trials, tests and tears. It's all downhill from here._

Okay, this is the biggest project I've ever completed- a full 31 chapters! I'm pretty proud of myself ;)

Disclaimer; I don't own anything except Piper Sedona and later, Adelaide Lilian-Eileen. Anything else is property of JKR; most unfortunately for me =P

Read away and enjoy; reviews are welcome!

_1_

_Truths_

_Severus discovers a secret about Piper that he almost wishes he hadn't._

Piper sat alone in the Room of Requirement, rereading the letter from her mother. It told her of the heartbreak suffered when her father died, and how the elder woman didn't think she would handle having Piper home after Graduation. Tears streamed down her face as the guilt resurfaced. It was her fault her father had died; if she wasn't a Muggleborn witch then the Death Eaters would never have bothered her family; if she hadn't tried to be smart and hex Mulciber, nobody would have been hurt; if she hadn't been born, her mother would have been free of her father. She heard the door open but didn't turn around until the person spoke.

"Piper?" it was Snape. She didn't turn around as she wiped her eyes on her robes, not sparing a thought for the makeup Lily had so generously applied to Piper's face that morning.

"Fuck off." she snapped. She heard the gasp and then the chuckle, prompting her to turn and glare at him poisonously, hating the laughter almost as much as she hated him. Well, that was a lie. She didn't hate him, she just… didn't like him. Probably because he was a Slytherin and her dislike wasn't really dislike for him at all, just his house… not for the boy himself…

"What do you want?" _Don't smirk at me like that. Just don't._

"Nothing. I just noticed you coming in here looking upset, and figured I'd-"

"Stick your abnormally large nose where it doesn't belong? Yeah, got that. Now you can leave." _Don't leave me alone._

"Come now, is that any way to treat a concerned friend?" he asked, teasing her now. She felt the sudden compulsion to throw something at him.

"You are no friend of mine." she snapped. He looked slightly hurt before a mask came down over his narrowed eyes and he folded his arms across his chest. She avoided the intensity of his eyes and wished he'd not look at her like that.

"Nonetheless, you're upset and I want to know why. You may not like me at all, Piper, but you really shouldn't assume that I don't like you." he informed her coolly. She just stared at him and scoffed.

"Now I understand why Sirius said you weren't brainy. You follow me here, knowing that I hate you and everything your little gang stands for, and proceed to… to… stay!" she exploded, her rage at the injustice of her situation weighing heavily on her mind. Snape merely chuckled and looked around at the bare room.

"Not very coherent, are we? You're being a bitch, by the way." _I don't mean it, Piper._

"Déjà vu; fuck off, Snape." _Don't._ _I'm afraid to be alone._

"Language, Golden Girl. You really shouldn't swear; it's not fucking good for your health." _Or my sanity._

"Mind your own, Severus!" the use of his first name caused him to pause in his tracks, gaping at her with childlike wonder. She blushed and averted her eyes, almost afraid of the emotion hidden in his. She didn't know why his name had slipped out; perhaps it was shock at hearing him swear so bluntly, or maybe it was just because she was angry at her mother. She knew she liked it though; liked the way it sounded.

"You realise that was almost a civil response, don't you?" he asked, his tone light and more joking than Piper had ever heard him before. She just managed a glare before falling back into an armchair that appeared to catch her before she struck the cold floor. Mutely, she picked up the letter and gave it to him. She figured he'd tease, ridicule and belittle her for it later anyway, so she was getting it out of the way. Snape took it mutely, summoning a straight-backed chair for himself as the words on the page touched a nerve.

_I hope you know your magic tricks have ruined this family. Your father is dead and the rest of us are in pieces. We should never have let you go to that school; we assumed you would be able to flick that stupid wand of yours and solve all our problems. Instead, you tear our family apart. Do not attempt to come home this summer. You have no home with us; I have no daughter._

_- Geraldine Sedona._

"Piper, I had no idea…" _I'm so sorry I didn't notice this before._

"Yeah, no-one did." she overrode him, wiping her eyes. She snatched the letter back and glared at him.

"So, why are you still here?" she asked. He gave her a scandalized look and stood up.

"After what you've just shown me, you want me to leave?" he asked incredulously. She shrugged aimlessly and stared around her fearfully.

"I don't know what I bloody well want. Go, stay, I don't care." _Please, stay with me. Please. _

"Yes you do. You wouldn't be tense if you really wanted me to go." _I'm not going anywhere._

"Don't be so bloody smug, Snape. You don't know me." _Why, oh why, did you have to be a Slytherin, Severus Snape?_

"I know you better than you think." he snapped, pulling up his robes to reveal the darkened bruises even magic couldn't cover up. Piper took one look at his battered body and looked away, biting her lip. He lowered the robes and regretted showing her. He had never openly admitted to his father's abuse before, but this was _Piper. _He knew her father was the same, he saw the haunted look in her eyes whenever someone was shouting. He'd watched her grow and he'd watched her hiding. He'd seen her that day in the Prefect's bathroom, just after she'd come back from visiting her family, covering a bruise on her cheek. He'd wanted to comfort her since that day but been too afraid to approach her. She was a brilliant Ravenclaw, dating Sirius Black, getting 'O's in all her classes- even Potions- so why would she even look twice at a scrawny Slytherin?

"Who did that to you? I swear if it was Sirius-"

"It was my father." his tone was flat, blunt even. She snapped her mouth closed with an audible click, shutting herself away and hiding from him.

"He doesn't like my magic much." he continued. Piper was breathing heavily, raggedly, but she didn't turn to look at him. He only knew she wasn't watching because she hadn't seen the tear slide down his cheek yet.

"Neither does mine." she admitted, her voice small and wavering. He knew then why she wasn't looking at him. He'd made her cry. Instead of making it better, he'd made it worse and now she was crying. Because of him. He'd never felt worse then he did in that moment, not even when he'd called Lily that word and sabotaged their friendship. He remembered the way Piper too had stuck up for him, and even gone behind Sirius and Lily's back to make sure he was alright.

"So, since when do you swear?" he asked, attempting to lighten the mood. She scoffed and shrugged.

"Since I hate you." she replied. He narrowed his eyes at her, although she couldn't see.

"So that's why I've heard you screaming at Black to let me be." he said bitterly. She took a shuddering breath and turned to him.

"Only to protect Sirius." she informed him. At his raised eyebrow, she glared at him.

"Don't look at me like that." _Don't look away. I'll be lost if you look away._

"Like what?" he asked. She sighed and flapped her hands at him, her lips twitching slightly as if she was holding back a smile.

"Like you know something I don't." she elaborated. He just shrugged slightly and laced his fingers together.

"What are you going to do about it, Piper?" he asked smoothly. She gaped at him, her mouth opening and closing like a fish.

"I-I-"

"That's what I thought." his tone was smug, and he couldn't help but feel proud when her eyes narrowed and she hissed at him.

"You're a complete arse-hole, you know that?" her tone was light, but he flinched all the same. He hated those words coming from her lips; it was unnatural and it made him feel even more worthless, hearing her insult him.

"Yeah, I've been told. Multiple times." something in his tone made her glance at him sharply, a surprised light entering her eyes at his downcast expression.

"I didn't mean it like that, Snape." she amended. He shrugged, looking at her in confusion.

"Why'd you call me that?" he asked. Confused, she just stared at him.

"You're not an arse-hole. Not a complete one, anyhow." she said, but he shook his head.

"No. Why'd you call me Snape, and not Severus?" he questioned. She shrugged.

"I dunno. I always call you Snape." _I like your name too much, I don't want you to know._

"You called me Severus earlier." _I like hearing you say it._

"Yeah… I guess I was kinda shocked… I mean, you _swore!_" she cried indignantly. He couldn't hold back a chuckle at her words.

"So you're the only one allowed that luxury?"

"You _never _swear! Not even when Slughorn paired you with Sirius! Not even when they hung you upside down, not ever!" she exclaimed. He chuckled again and ran a hand through his shoulder-length hair. She noticed the gesture and couldn't help but notice that, up close, he wasn't as greasy as everyone thought. His hair almost had a silky quality to it. Out of nowhere, the desire to touch it- _him_- hit her and a devious idea popped into her head.

"So you'll call me Severus if I swear?" he asked. She paused, then shook her head with a wicked smile.

"No. I'll call you Severus if I can touch your hair." she said. He froze, then nodded stiffly. She noticed his hand had grasped his wand, but she ignored it and reached out to run her fingers delicately across his scalp. He shuddered and momentarily wished he hadn't agreed to this.

"Sorry. I've got an obsession with touching hair." she whispered, twisting a lock of it around her fingers. It was soft and silky, not greasy at all. He bit back a small whine when she let go.

"I'd better go. See you." she said, standing swiftly. He caught her wrist and held tight, not letting her leave. His wicked grin matched hers from moments earlier.

"Say it. Say my name." _Please. Piper, please…_

"Severus." she complied and he released her reluctantly. She took a step closer and touched his hair again. He very much doubted that he'd let anyone but Piper touch him this way.

"Severus." she said again, her voice soft and light as she took in the way his eyes closed as she said it. Leaning in close to him, she scraped her nails over his scalp, inducing a shudder, and whispered;

"Severus." _Oh good Lord, Merlin… whoever's listening… why is he looking at me like that?_

He didn't regain his wits in time to catch her before she was gone.


	2. Flashbacks of a Fool

_2_

_Flashbacks of A Fool._

_Piper wonders when she started feeling for Severus, and remembers scenes from their lives._

Piper made it up to the Ravenclaw Common room, collapsing in a chair and cursing _his _name again. She'd completely missed dinner, but didn't care. She wasn't up to seeing Sirius or the 'gang' at that point; she just wanted to be alone. Thinking back to her Sorting, she felt a flash of rage directed at Snape for the thousandth time in seven years. They used to be so close, before Hogwarts. Before he was sorted into Slytherin, she into Ravenclaw, and effectively separated. Then there was Lily. Snape had all but abandoned Piper as soon as his fascination was caught by the redhead. Piper, although fond of Lily, had always harboured a deep resentment for her too. In her eyes, it was Lily that ended her bond with Snape.

"Bloody Slytherin." she cursed under her breath, summoning a book from upstairs and staring, unseeing, at the page. Her mind was still at the Sorting…

_Flashback…_

_Piper huddled against the skinny, greasy-haired form at her side. He clutched her hand tightly as they stumbled up to await their fate, although the hid the affection with their robes. Lily moved back and stood slightly between them, forcing Piper to let go of his hand. She was strangely vindicated when Lily Evans was sorted into Gryffindor. As much as she loved Severus then, she knew he would never make it into Gryffindor._

"_Piper Sedona!" she grasped his hand, squeezing it tightly before letting it go._

"_Slytherin, please Slytherin…" she heard him whisper as she stepped up and pulled the hat over her eyes with shaking hands._

"_Sedona, Muggleborn… hmm, smart yes, much potential in your mind… ambitious, want to prove yourself…" the nasal voice was drowned out by Piper's own hoarse whispering._

"_Slytherin, please Slytherin, please…"_

"_Unusual, to beg for Slytherin… normally, I would comply, but you are far too bright for that… too much potential, too much love swelling in your heart…"_

"_Please, I'll do anything, just put me in Slytherin, please…"_

"_Anything, hmm? Not a Slytherin quality… in fact, you show only one quality needed for that house- your ambitions, Piper Sedona- they're not nearly as exceptional as your mind and your heart, they say you're not Slytherin at all…"_

"_No! Slytherin, I want Slytherin, please…" she felt the tears forming in her eyes and bit them back. She would not cry like a baby in front of Hogwarts._

"_Piper Sedona, you are not a Slytherin." she clenched her fists on the stool until her knuckles went white and her nails dug into her palm enough to leave angry red marks._

"_RAVENCLAW!" she lifted the hat off her head, caught Severus's eye, and prayed. She took a seat besides a brown-haired girl who smiled, and Piper chewed on her lip as Severus slid the hat on his head. It didn't take nearly as long to sort him, probably because he wasn't arguing as she had._

"_SLYTHERIN!" the shout broke her heart. He looked over in her direction just fleetingly, but she didn't look at him. He'd promised they'd be together, that they'd stay friends no matter what. She hated him for breaking that promise._

"_I hate you, Severus Snape."_

"I hate you, Severus Snape." she echoed her words from years previously, finding her tone had lost the venom. She regretted the words almost instantly, although there was no way he could have heard her. The Common Room was empty anyhow, but still Piper didn't move. She knew she should probably get up for Prefect duty, but found herself unwilling to go anywhere that gave her the slightest chance of seeing him. How did he even know that she was upset? She hadn't started to cry until the door was closed…

"Was he watching me?" she wondered aloud, snapping her book shut and placing it beside her on the couch. Her thoughts had been tainted with the dark Slytherin constantly, and she wasn't entirely sure she liked it. She knew she should probably be thinking of Sirius, and she couldn't help but feel a little cheated when her daydreams of Sirius turned into ones of Severus. She hated it when her hands ran through her boyfriend's hair, and she wondered what _his _hair felt like.

Most of all, she hated it when Sirius tormented him and she felt so bloody helpless. Of course, she'd tried to defend him, to stick up for him, but it never worked. Nobody listened to her opinions when it came to Snape.

"Does he know I care?" she continued with her verbalization of her thoughts. The Common Room was empty and, above the low crackling of the fire, no-one would hear her whispers anyway. She stared into the embers, seeing his obsidian eyes looking back at her when she knew she should be seeing grey. Shaking her head, she looked to the ceiling and closed her eyes, imagining herself strolling through the castle grounds with Sev- _Sirius!-,_ holding hands, smiling and laughing… his black eyes- _grey eyes, grey eyes!- _locking onto hers as they stop by the lake, under what he knows is her favourite tree- _no he doesn't, he doesn't know that!- _a small smirk as he entwines his fingers in her hair and gently presses his lips to hers, the green-and-silver- _red and gold!- _tie tickling her chin.

"Merlin!" she cried, snapping her eyes open. _That certainly didn't work._

Giving up her pitiful attempt to daydream of her boyfriend, she began to reminisce. Skipping over her first three years of Hogwarts, spent alone and almost in silence, she remembered the first day of her fourth year, and seeing _him _again, alone, after all that time. Even Lily wasn't with him that day, something that Piper was half-grateful for…

"_Severus! How nice to see you… again!" they both knew that she was about to say something else. He sneered at her cautiously, waiting for Sirius or James to appear out of nowhere and hex him again. He wouldn't put it past Piper to set that kind of thing up; she had never forgiven him for being in Slytherin. Then again, he had never forgiven her for _not _being in Slytherin._

"_What do you want?" he asked rudely. She jumped and looked hurt, not moving from the doorway._

"_Just… to say hi…" she trailed off, shifting her weight nervously and avoiding his eyes. He felt his demeanour soften as he waved a hand at the seat across from him._

"_Join me. Lily's off with the Gryffindor girls…" he offered. She smiled slightly and accepted._

"_Speaking of Gryffindor girls, where's your lot?" he asked suspiciously. She giggled and shrugged aimlessly._

"_I don't know; pissing off the Prefects? I wanted no part of it."_

"_So you came searching for me?"_

"_Don't flatter yourself. I was just… walking around. I saw you and… I realised how much I've missed you." she confessed. He held his breath, waiting for the inevitable and cruel letdown when she'd laugh and leave. When nothing came, he looked up and saw her biting her lip._

"_I've kind of missed you too." if she were anyone else, those words would never have left his lips. As it were he was regretting them._

"_Really? It's been what, four years?" she asked with a bitter laugh. He shrugged noncommittally._

"_There abouts. Four years since you stopped talking to me." he said, unable to resist the dig at her pride. She glared at him frostily._

"_Your memory fails you, Snape. It was you who refused to talk to me. You didn't answer any of my notes, my letters, you were never even home when I tried to visit! Your mother turned me away!"_

"_Don't talk about her that way. Perhaps she was turning you away because you're below me, a Mudbl-" they were the words he would really come to regret as Piper stood up abruptly and wrenched open the door._

"_Now I remember why I don't like you." she spat, slamming the door on her way out. Her mind burned at the injustice of his words, the insult. She hated him with every fibre of her being; because he was Slytherin, but mainly because she knew he was right._

Piper's rage subsided as her eyes stung. She had never forgotten those words, and since that day she had avoided speaking directly to him. He had made no move to approach her, either, so she forgave herself for that. But the day in her fifth year, when her 'friends' had turned on him so viciously, made her realise just how much he meant to her…

"_Who wants to see Snivelly's underpants?" James asked loudly, his wand pointed at a disarmed Snape. Piper's eyes flashed as she waited, hoping James would relent. Snape had paled horribly at the question, and it was no wonder. James and Sirius were just that little bit more skilled with charms than the Slytherin; and he was unarmed, his own wand held tightly in Peter's grasp._

"_Not I, James. Let him be." Piper called, a hand searching her pockets for her wand. She caught Snape's curious look before he resumed glaring at James and Sirius._

"_I don't think I will. He needs to be made an example of, don't you agree Sirius?"_

"_Yes, James, I most certainly do."_

"_Levicorpus!" as soon as the spell left James's lips, Piper realised her wand was left haphazardly lying on her bed. She hadn't thought to bring it with her on a lazy Saturday. She wished she had listened to Remus's advice; 'go nowhere without a wand'. Snape's robes fell down over his head, revealing pale, skinny legs usually hidden._

"_Potter! You arrogant, insufferable-"_

"_Silencio!" Sirius cried, shutting off Snape's angry shouting. Piper held a hand to her mouth and looked helplessly to Remus. She had never been good at standing up to James and Sirius, and usually she just went along with their schemes. But there was something sinister in the way they acted, as though there was an ulterior motive for their torment of Snape… and she'd heard the unspoken cry for help._

"_Guys, let him down, come on…" Remus tried, his voice too quiet to be heard above the laughter. Piper stepped forward to intervene, with or without magic, but was pushed back by Lily._

"_LET HIM DOWN, POTTER!" she screeched. Seizing her opportunity, Piper stepped alongside Lily to confront the boys; sparing just a quick smile at Lily's surprised look. Sirius looked shell-shocked, but James looked pained as Lily glared at him._

"_Let. Him. Down." Lily repeated dangerously, and when James didn't respond, she moved forward to poke his chest roughly, her green eyes boring into his._

"_You're on shaky ground, Potter…" she warned._

"_Do it, James. Let Snape go." Piper called. James jumped at the sound of his first name and let Snape crash to the ground, a tangle of skinny arms and legs and robes and books._

"_Sirius. You too." Piper snapped, and in an instant, Snape was shouting insults out at everyone; Lily and Piper included. The latter was too focussed on the look of horror on Sirius's face at the realisation of what they'd done._

"_How could you… after what's going on out there?" Piper asked, pointing at the gates. Every day, the paper was filled with names of those killed, maimed and injured in the war, attacks on Muggles and magical folk alike. Sirius gave her a pleading look, asking for forgiveness, but Piper turned away._

"_Are you alright, Severus?" Lily had left James at the same time and was speaking to the red-faced, humiliated Slytherin. He glared at her._

"_I don't need your help, Mudblood!" he spat, paling instantly as the words sunk in. He dropped his books and reached for Lily, who backed away with tears in her eyes._

"_Oh Merlin, Lily…"_

"_Don't! Just don't!" Lily shouted, pushing through the crowd in her haste to get away. Piper looked to Snape, and saw the heartbreak written plainly on his face._

"_How. Dare. You." James snarled from behind her. Piper whirled and saw the daggers shooting from his eyes, the wand raised and she forgot all reason as she stood between the furious Gryffindor and the quaking Slytherin._

"_Leave it." she said softly. James seemed not to hear her as he pushed his way by Sirius and Remus, bearing down on Piper and Snape with such a murderous expression in his eyes… in an instant, Piper whirled and dragged Snape forcefully from the centre of the group, following a sobbing Lily to the castle._

"_You… go apologize… inconsiderate arse!" she panted, pointing towards the Gryffindor Common Room. They stood by the dungeon stairs, and Snape realised what she meant to do._

"_Piper-"_

"_Go after her, you moron! Go!" he turned and fled as Piper bit back tears. Why was it that every time they met, she ended up crying?_

That same question ran through a sixteen-year-old Piper's mind as the memory faded. She remembered sending James and Sirius down to the dungeons after a mythical Snape, but after that it was a haze of avoiding everyone and wondering why in hell she cared what happened to Severus Snape. Of course, after speaking with a Muggle counsellor when her father died in her sixth year, Piper came to realise that '_unrequited feelings of love and adoration are swelling inside of you, your unhappy home-life has driven you to look for comfort in the arms of a kindred soul'._

"Kindred soul." the words repeated over in her head as the thought back to the bruises on his pale body. How she wished she could have washed away the pain accompanying them, any way possible. Sighing, she put her arms behind her head and closed her eyes, trying to shut her mind off of everything; especially Severus Snape.


	3. The Kiss

_3_

_The Kiss._

_Piper and Severus share a moment and start to realise that there's more to life than misery._

Piper walked down the tables quickly, sliding into a seat beside Sirius and allowing him to kiss her quickly. She couldn't resist casting a seemingly casual look over to the Slytherin table, and instantly realised her mistake. Severus was staring in her general direction, and their eyes met from across the hall. Piper couldn't look away, even though she knew he saw her. Sirius nudged her rather roughly and she tore her eyes away from his reluctantly.

"You gonna eat? Got that Quidditch game later on; James reckons you Ravenclaws are going _down!" _Sirius cried, piling Piper's plate with six pancakes and lathering them with syrup. She nearly gagged.

"Unfortunately, some of us actually have a healthy diet love." she said, forcing her tone to lighten up. She still had a knot in her stomach from the day before; the Christmas holidays were rapidly approaching and she really didn't want to stay at Hogwarts, none of the Seventh Years were staying.

"Aww, come on! It's just a bit of sugar!" Sirius continued, trying to feed her. Piper ducked away and pushed his hand away with a small smile.

"I can feed myself, Sirius." she told him coolly, taking the fork from his hand. He didn't seem to catch her tone, turning away to talk to James loudly. Piper took a bite of her food and swallowed thickly. The pancake stuck to her throat and she felt sick. Eating just really wasn't an option; not when her attention had nothing to occupy it but _him. _

"Umm, be right… yeah." she muttered, standing up quickly and pecking Sirius's cheek, running from the hall with a hand on her mouth and the other on her stomach, praying she wouldn't be sick. Bursting through the doors, she ran to lean out a window, breathing in the lovely fresh air and clearing her lungs. She didn't know what was wrong with her; why she'd reacted to _his _gaze like that. Sirius had never made her stomach turn quite the same way. She heard the doors open and turned with a small smile on her face, disguising any and all discomfort.

"Pip! There you are; you ran out on us bloody quick!" Sirius shouted, catching her in a hug. Piper allowed herself a moment to hug him back before smiling brightly at her friends.

"Sorry, guys, bathroom break." she laughed, threading her arm around Sirius's waist as they headed to their first lessons. Lucky for them, Ravenclaw and Gryffindor seventh years had the first two lessons together; Defence and Transfiguration; then the four houses conjoined in Potions and Arithmancy, before Slytherin joined Ravenclaw for Charms.

"Okay then; Defence time." Lily said, her hand in James's. Piper raised an eyebrow at that, but let it go as the six stood before the doors to the Great Hall, the atmosphere slightly awkward.

"Piper, I snagged you some food." Remus said quickly, handing her a small plate of pancakes and a glass of pumpkin juice. Smiling gratefully, Piper settled herself on a window sill to eat as much as she could. Although she still didn't feel all that well, she knew she _had _to force some food down her throat. She didn't notice Severus watching them with an odd expression on his face, but Sirius did.

"Hey, Pip, can I have some pumpkin juice?" he asked. She offered it to him nonchalantly, talking animatedly with Lily. Both were already stressing about N.E.W.T.s coming up, plus Piper's dedication to the Ravenclaw Quidditch team. For the last three years running, it had been Gryffindor and Ravenclaw passing off for the Cup, with Gryffindor only just scraping by with the win.

"Hey! BLACK!" Severus roared, drawing his wand. Immediately Piper was on her feet, food forgotten and wand in her hand immediately. Snape was dripping with pumpkin juice, a fact duly noted by Sirius and James's hysterical laughter. Even Remus was sniggering, although he was trying hard not to show it.

"_Scourgify." _Piper whispered, flicking her wand in the direction of the disgruntled Slytherin. He shot her a mildly grateful look before returning to glare at Sirius and James.

"Think it's funny, do you?" he hissed, a hex forming on his lips. He had just about spoken it when Piper caught his wrist, glaring at him.

"Don't do that. Set an example; you're a Prefect, for Gods' Sake!" she snapped. He glared at her, then at James.

"He's Head Boy! Shouldn't he be the one setting an example?" he snapped right back. Piper just glared at him, letting his wrist go free. He jerked it back to his side and stood stoically until Piper stopped glaring at him.

"He's right, James. Quidditch Captain, Head Boy… you're a role model for younger students. Grasp responsibility and _try_ to grow up-"

"You're defending Snivellus?" Sirius asked disbelievingly. Piper scoffed and lightly pushed Severus towards the Great Hall. Her eyes told him to go, but still he hesitated.

"I'm defending you. And don't call him that." she replied. Sirius just grinned and pulled his wand, pointing it after Severus who still hadn't left.

"We don't need it- _Levicorpus!"_

"_Repello!" _Piper had sent the spell curving away from Severus harmlessly, but he still flinched. Sirius narrowed his eyes at Severus and drew a finger across his throat.

"Come on, let's go…" Lily said nervously, sensing trouble brewing between the couple. Piper nodded and waited until Sirius started to move.

"You'll get yours, _Snape_. Mark my words, you'll get yours!" Sirius shouted. Snape stared after them, momentarily wishing Piper had stayed. He saw her blonde hair obscured by Sirius's arm, and he hated the fact that he wasn't the one touching her, but he celebrated the fact that she wasn't hugging Sirius back.

"Piper." he whispered.

-[-]-

Severus stood stock still in the fifth floor corridor, trying to decide where to spend his free period. After living through two torturously slow lessons without anything to occupy his fancy, he was not averse to going back to the Room of Requirement. Just as he was about to move, he heard voices, loud voices, coming down the hallway and he knew she was on her way; on the arm of Sirius Black.

"Come on, Piper, we can skip next lesson. Slughorn's an old coot anyhow…" Sirius was begging. Severus felt almost sick listening to the tone of his voice. Sirius and Piper had been dating for just over a week now and everyone knew what Sirius wanted when he said 'skip class'. Severus held his breath, waiting for Piper's reply possessively. As unjustified, _wrong_, his thoughts were, he still _wanted _her to want him.

"He may be an 'old coot', Sirius, but that doesn't mean I'm skipping. If I want to be a Healer I have to attend." she said lightly, but firmly. Severus pressed himself closer to the wall, listening unashamedly with an insipid, unusual smile on his face.

"One lesson, Pip! Remus will take notes for you!"

"I'm not pressuring poor Remus to do that. I'm a Prefect, Sirius."

"Is that why you stuck up for Snape this morning?" his tone was bitter, suspicious. Severus heard Piper gasp and sigh heavily, then the sound of someone scoffing.

"That's not the only reason, no. And I don't see what Snape's got to do with this anyway." she replied. Sirius growled and walked quickly to Severus' hiding place behind a statue. With a furious glare, he grabbed the Slytherin by the collar and threw him into the hall.

"Because the greasy git's been listening in. What were you waiting for, huh?" Sirius asked angrily, as Severus picked himself up and stood straight and tall, ignoring Sirius completely.

"Piper." he greeted the girl coolly, who looked between him and her boyfriend in shock. Severus resisted the urge to smile at her.

"Severus." she replied, her voice soft and cool. Sirius threw his arms up in the air.

"Out with it, Snivellus! Why were you listening?" he demanded, raising his fist and taking a step towards Severus. It was only Piper's terrified cry that stopped the violence; both boys turning to see the hunted, petrified expression on her face. Sirius lowered his arm.

"Pip? You okay?" he asked, moving to touch her. She flinched away and glared at him.

"I'm fine. Perfectly fine." she said. Sirius gave her a disbelieving look and Severus couldn't help but hate the lump in his throat when she met his gaze.

"You don't look fine. What's up?" Sirius asked. Suddenly, the penny dropped. Sirius didn't know about her home life; Sirius didn't know her father was dead, or that he was abusive; Sirius didn't know _anything_.

"This isn't exactly healthy." Severus said quietly, giving Piper a knowing look. She shook her head almost imperceptibly at him.

"Shut up, you greasy Slytherin git! This is _your _fault!"

"Hardly! You're the one shouting, you're the one raising your fists, you're the one at fault!"

"Say that again, _Snivellus." _

"Sirius, take your own advice and shut up." Piper interrupted shrilly. Both boys turned to stare at her again.

"If you're going to fight, use your wands. If you're going to fight, bloody well don't do it in front of me!" she shouted, pushing by both of them and running down the hall. Sirius was the first to react, chasing after her as fast as he could. Severus just watched calmly and walked towards the Room of Requirement. He knew he'd find her there, in that desolate, bare room with just her armchair and his wooden seat. He waited in the shadows of the room, watching for her.

"Severus." she said as she opened the door. The room could not change if someone was in it, but he was still pleasantly surprised that she knew of his presence. Deciding it was pointless to hide further, he stepped forward and tried to smile at her.

"Piper. You didn't have-" he cut himself off as she too stepped into the light, mascara running down her cheeks.

"You seem to be crying again, Piper. Much too often for someone your age." he remarked. She glared at him and summoned a chair, a two-seater this time and beckoned him over.

"What's your point?" she asked harshly. He took a seat beside her.

"You're ugly when you cry." he said bluntly. She flinched and looked at him, her eyes cold and calculating. He waited for the insult he expected.

"I know. I can't help it… it's just so hard. Losing Father last year, coming back here… putting on a goddamn mask so nobody sees how much it hurts to know that it was my fault. Now this with Mother, and Sirius being such an arse to you…"

"Why do you care? You're taking on a burden that is not yours to carry."

"You're not a burden." she said quickly, and he nodded in assent. He was still worried about her, the girl he had liked ever since he saw her on the train with Lily. He only realised now, when it was far too late, that he didn't love Lily the way he loved Piper. Lily was like… his sister, his idea of 'perfection', while Piper a female version of himself; reserved, mysterious and abused. It was those three qualities that made him realise how much he wanted to know her, to hold her… to love her.

"You did not answer my question." he reminded her gently. Sniffling, she shrugged and summoned a clock so she knew how long she had to spend with him before Potions.

"Because I don't know how." she whispered brokenly, staring at nothing. His breath caught in his throat as he took in her appearance; dishevelled blonde hair, slightly tattered robes, running makeup and watery, puffy, sea-green eyes. Without a second thought, he reached out to run a thumb down her cheek, taking some of the moisture away with him. She leaned into his touch, closing her eyes.

"Try." his voice was barely above a whisper, but still she heard him. The intense atmosphere in the room swelled and both of them knew what was coming, but neither made any move to stop it.

His thin lips met hers, and her hand entwined itself in his hair as she smiled against him, her tongue begging him for entrance. He immediately complied, wanting to taste more of her himself. She tasted of honey; the honey that had been on her pancakes that morning, and just of _her. _Taking a risk, he pressed forward until he was leaning over her, both of them lying flat on the couch. Reluctantly, he pulled away from the warmth of her lips to breathe and stared at her, waiting impatiently for her reaction.

"You kissed me." she observed bluntly. He shrugged, not moving. He was perfectly comfortable where he was and she didn't seem all that objective of it.

"You kissed back." he said. Her lips twitched and her fingers toyed with his hair much like a cat would, her nails running lightly across his scalp. He closed his eyes, enjoying the sensation.

"Why?" she whispered. He thought hard, trying to come up with some witty, intelligent remark to stun her with. Unfortunately, his ability to form complicated replies escaped him and all he could do was smile.

"Because I think I like you."

"You _think _you like me?" she asked, giggling lightly. He laughed through his nose and sat back up, drawing her with him.

"I do."

"_Why?" _she asked again, a little more forcefully. He looked at her, trying to recall if he'd fallen asleep at any point, because this certainly wasn't the reaction he was expecting.

"I don't honestly know. You're the Hogwarts Golden Girl after all. Every man from here to America wants you."

"I'm not… don't say that. I don't want every man from here to America."

"Who do you want? Sirius Black?" he asked, his voice suddenly sharp. She flinched and looked away, hugging herself.

"I don't know. I thought I did but… that was before now… I just don't know."

"He's good for you." he couldn't hold her gaze, the suddenly intense and fierce glare.

"You and I both know he just wants a quick shag." she said. Severus couldn't hold back a chuckle at that as he resisted the urge to touch her.

"How do you know I don't?" he asked. He wasn't like Sirius in the slightest, but he had to know what she thought of him. The sudden flash of fear told him all he wanted to know as he stood up to leave.

"Severus." she said, making him falter slightly. He bit his tongue and continued walking, planning on reaching the door. Just as he reached out to touch the handle, the door was blocked by a heavy anvil, stopping him from opening it even if he tried.

"How original." he smirked, turning around and jumping in surprise. Piper was right before him, barely an inch away.

"I know you don't because if you did, you wouldn't have stopped. You pulled away." she said, reaching around him to open the door. He caught her hand and raised her fingers to his lips, kissing each of her knuckles in turn. She shuddered a little and smiled, resting her head against his shoulder and wrapping her arms around his waist.

"I've known you forever and it's only lately I've realised how much you mean to me, Severus." he very nearly moaned at the sound of his name, resting his forehead against hers.

"I've known for about a year now." he said, slightly smug. She giggled and kissed the base of his neck.

"Show-off, much?"

"No, that's your boyfriend… speaking of whom, he'd kill me if he saw us like this." the realisation dawned on him and he almost regretted kissing her. She stiffened and pulled away from him, sighing heavily.

"I wish I was stronger." she said, touching his cheek. He turned his head to kiss her palm, holding her hand against his cheek.

"Why? You are strong… look at the way you've got them fooled…"

"No, not that. I meant if I was stronger… I'd leave him for you." the confession made him tense up and stare down at her, his obsidian eyes boring into hers.

"Don't say that, Piper, please don't say that. I'm destined for the Dark Side, but you… you've got a _life, _a _future. _I'd rather see you with Sirius Black than anywhere near my world." he said. She stepped away from him and nodded silently.

"I guess… if you want… we don't have to give up… I mean, you don't have to, but we could…" she trailed off, but the words hung in the air between them, as yet unspoken.

"Sneak around? How Slytherin."

"Forget it. It was a stupid idea… I knew you wouldn't agree." He couldn't bear the desolation in her eyes, and gave in to the urge to kiss it away.

"I never said that. Secret friends then?" he asked. She glared at him and touched his lips with the tips of her fingers.

"I highly doubt anyone would call us 'friends'." she teased.

"How very true, Miss Sedona."


	4. Stolen Moments

_4_

_Stolen Moments_

_Piper and Severus share a moment in the Room of Requirement._

Piper and Severus stuck true to their word, sneaking stolen moments behind the backs of the Gryffindors. They never spent more than an hour together, as it was the longest she could remain away without being discovered, and it wasn't nearly enough. It had been an entire month since they first began the agreement. Piper tried to spend time with Sirius, but the Gryffindor seemed not as interested as he had at the beginning of their relationship. She tried not to blame herself; but the niggling doubt that if she allowed him to do more than just kiss her, if she responded with more enthusiasm, then perhaps he would show the same interest in her.

"Piper? Are you alright?" Severus asked during one evening they'd stolen. She smiled and nodded, failing miserably in her attempt to look happy. Severus waited patiently, raising one eyebrow in an expression of disbelief. She sighed and shrugged.

"It's Sirius. He's… running around with other girls… behind my back. Not that I really mind- I'm not one to talk, am I? It's just… I can't help but feel guilty. I mean, he is good to me… and… you know…"

"You feel as though you're incompetent? Not good enough?" he suggested. She glared frostily at him and sighed.

"Well, yes. Then there's the fact that whenever he touches me, kisses me, I can't help but think of you. And he knows it." she whispered. He remained silent for a long while, thinking over her words.

"You think of me when you're with him?" she nodded and looked worse.

"It's killing me. I'm not sure I can keep going like this much longer. It hurts so bad to know I'm hurting him." _But I don't want to hurt you, either._

"Then stay with him." Severus regretted the words the instant they parted his lips. He didn't mean it; he wanted her for his own, forever.

"I can't Severus. I can't choose." _I wish I could have both._

"Oh, Piper." _I wish I could save you._

"Don't 'oh Piper' me. I know I should stand up and tell the truth, stop all this stupid sneaking, but I just can't." _God, I hate this…_

Severus kissed her forehead, holding her tighter against his body as she trembled. It was ten minutes later when he noticed that her breathing had evened out and her arms weren't clinging to him as strongly as before.

"Piper?" he murmured, waiting for the response. He received none of course; she was asleep. With a rumbling chuckle, he thought of the couch they shared becoming a bed and a thick blanket covering both their bodies snugly. She nuzzled closer into his body and pulled him tight against her, resting her head on his chest. He had a moment to wonder if she'd regret this in the morning before he too let go his inhibitions and joined her in dreaming.

-[-]-

Piper woke with a start, breathing heavily. She felt a body under hers and jolted upright, staring around her in shock. The body moved and she saw his face, peaceful in sleep. Slowly, she remembered falling asleep against Severus… three hours earlier. It was dinner time, and she didn't know if she could face the crowds. Not after skipping all her lessons, not after the 'fight' with Sirius.

"Sev?" she called quietly. She hoped he wouldn't respond, but to her disappointment he did.

"Don't… not that." he mumbled, stretching his arms above his head. She giggled and crawled up his body so she was straddling his hips, leaning down to lightly kiss the tip of his nose.

"You're adorable when you're sleepy, you know that?" she whispered. He snapped fully awake at that and stared at her in shock.

"I certainly am not adorable. I'm a slimy, greasy, Muggle-hating, no-good Slytherin." he said, his tone joking. She glared at him so furiously he couldn't help but cringe under the intensity.

"You ever insult yourself like that again and I'll hex you." she threatened. He laughed- yes, _laughed- _and held up his hands, smiling at her.

"Alright then. I won't insult myself and you promise not to call me Sev."

"Why not?"

"It sounds ridiculous. Besides, Severus is my name and Severus is what- mmph…" she cut his lecture with a kiss, pulling away much too quickly, leaving both of them wanting more and totally unsatisfied.

"I'd like to be called." he finished. Piper laughed through her nose and lowered her head to rest on his shoulders, nipping at his neck lightly. He jumped at the contact and groaned lightly, weakly trying to push her off. She bit down harder, leaving a mark which was quickly soothed by a tongue, and he ceased his pathetic attempts to stop her.

"Pi- Piper!"

"What?"

"My turn." he promptly flipped them over, the bed happily extending so they didn't fall off. Severus paused to appreciate the sight of Piper Sedona lying underneath him and completely at his mercy; bright sea-green eyes, small seductive smile and blonde hair splayed on the pillow beneath her head.

"Beautiful." he murmured, taking his time in returning the favour as he suckled her neck. The moans and whimpers he induced only spurred him on further, provoking him to run his hands along the length of her body as she did the same to him. She dug her fingers in at his hips and he bucked, breaking contact with her skin. She smiled wickedly at him.

"Oh brilliant." she muttered, still grinning. He adopted a wary attitude as she leant up to kiss him, pressing up to push him onto his back. She quickly straddled him again, and with her lips still on his, tickled his ribs until he couldn't breathe.

"Pi-Pip! S-stop! C-can't… breathe!" he wheezed, failing to get her to stop with his hands. She relented finally and kissed his forehead, loving the flush on his cheeks. A devious thought crossed his mind and he smirked, but didn't say it. She wouldn't appreciate it… but she had just exploited his weakness, had she not?

"By looking at your hair alone, anyone would think we just had sex." he said, quite bluntly. She jumped, paled and tried to smooth down her hair, but failed in that. She returned his wicked grin.

"Your flushing isn't helping our case." she said. He flushed further.

"I am not flushing."

"You do everything you say you don't, Severus."

"I do not!"

"Hypocrite."

"Smart aleck."

"Slytherin."

"Oh, that's an insult, Piper?"

"I'm sorry."

"You will be…"

"Yeah, yeah. All talk you are, Severus." with that, Piper slipped out of the bed and the room provided a vanity, where she quickly fixed her hair and turned back to him, grinning when she noticed he was still in the bed.

"You don't _have_ to go." he pointed out mildly. She screwed up her face and nodded.

"Yeah, actually I do. I think someone's gonna notice if we both skip dinner and the prefect meeting." she replied. He gave a small groan and touched the red mark she left on his neck.

"I think someone will notice these." he said, relenting and following her out. She smiled and pulled his collar up, kissing his lips chastely.

"No-one will question mine."

"And that's not an insult at all." he remarked sarcastically. With a savage grin, Piper pulled his collar down again so the hickey could be seen by all.

"Well, you can explain it on your own."

"I think that's agreeable."

"Brilliant."


	5. Distraction

_5_

_Distraction_

_Sirius realises that Piper is distracted from him and wants to know why._

The Ravenclaw Common Room was unusually noisy, but that wasn't unexpected since the last Quidditch match of the first term- Ravenclaw against Gryffindor- had just elapsed with the winning score to Ravenclaw. The celebrations would go on long into the night, even without the Quidditch captain who was currently in a broom closet with Sirius Black.

"What do you mean, you're sorry?" he hissed, a hand on his head. Piper shrugged helplessly and cast about for a decent excuse. It was true that she _had _been distracted from Sirius lately; even her work was suffering in favour of time with Severus.

"I'm just sorry- about the Quidditch loss, about everything!" she retorted. He glared at her harshly, scoffing.

"Quidditch? You think I care about _Quidditch? _Piper, you've been so distracted lately, you barely speak to me! Ever since that day with Snape… there's nothing going on between you two, is there? Is that why you're not with me? Because you're running around with _Snape?_"

"Wha- no! That's not it, Sirius! I'm- I'm just sorry, alright? Things haven't been going well at home, since Mother kicked me out… you know… trying to find a place to live, get that apprenticeship at Saint Mungo's, win the bloody Quidditch Cup, ace my N.E.W.T.s, be the best bloody Prefect there could be, and set a decent example for the younger Ravenclaws, I'm so stressed that it's not funny! I can't even get my head straight anymore." she said, lowering her voice to just above a whisper. She hoped he would understand, but how could she expect that of him when only Severus knew the truth? Sirius shrugged and smiled coldly.

"Perhaps it would be best if we stayed just friends until you sort yourself out. It sounds like you don't have time for me, anyway." he said, no sympathy in his voice. Piper just nodded miserably, looking at the floor.

"Go celebrate the win. See you 'round, Piper." he said quietly, stepping out of the closet and walking away. For an instant, she considered going after him but decided against it. Sirius was best left alone, so at least one part of her life was uncomplicated for once. She opted instead to make an appearance at the party, then she'd go to meet Severus in the Room of Requirement, as recent tradition dictated.

"Hey, there she is! Girl of the match!" her fellow chasers bellowed across the din. Immediately, everyone turned to their Quidditch Captain and let out a cheer that echoed in the halls. Nobody noticed the look of horror that crossed Piper's features as she was hauled over people's shoulders and carried around the common room. Someone shoved a bottle of Firewhiskey (illegally obtained, who said Ravenclaws were all work and no play?) into Piper's hands, and she stared at it confusedly before the crowd put her down on a table.

"To the Captain!" the entire house bellowed as one, raising their own glasses. Piper looked down into the swirling, fiery liquid and suddenly decided that it might be just what she needed.

She raised the bottle to her lips and downed half of it. Her happy facade settled back into place, and she enjoyed herself.

-[-]-

Severus waited for her all night in the Room, their room. Since the kiss, they had made it a much more pleasant place to be, their place. It was almost midnight when she appeared, still in the dirty Quidditch robes with a bottle of Firewhisky in her hand; half already gone. Immediately he stood and took it from her, leading her to the fluffy couch and sitting with the drunk witch at his side.

"Gimme… gimme tha' back…" she slurred, running her words together as she reached for the alcohol. Severus moved it out of her grasp and restrained her, his heart pounding as she looked at him sadly.

"Tha's mine… gimme it!" she demanded. He shook his head and drew her hands away from the bottle on the floor, holding her to him like a baby.

"I think you've had enough." he whispered. Piper glared, folding her arms haphazardly across her chest and nearly dislodging herself from the couch. It was only Severus and his reflexes that saved her from hitting the stone floor. The comfort of the room was slowly disappearing, the magical room catering to Piper's emotions. Severus was worried about her, but the strength of the stress on the Ravenclaw threatened to overwhelm them both as the walls began to tremble.

"Piper, Piper, calm down, please!" he begged, trying to get her to breathe normally. She caught his eye and melted, collapsing face-first into his lap and turning over so she could stare up at him through heavy-lidded eyes.

"How much have you drunk, Piper?" Severus asked seriously. She looked at his stern expression and her face twisted into a strange look that he couldn't quite identify.

Until she laughed. Tears poured from her eyes as she continued to laugh, loudly and harshly, her body shaking with the force of it all.

"Good Merlin." Severus sighed, slipping out from under her and letting her lie fully on the couch. She continued to giggle and snort, and he wished he could do something to clear her head of the alcohol. Seeing her so completely defenceless like this was almost as bad as seeing her cry.

"Piper, snap out of it! How much did you drink?" he snapped, forcing her to sit up and look at him. She was breathing heavily as she looked at him, her eyes wide and glazed. He realised that it wasn't just alcohol in her system, by the stench on her breath.

"Bloody hell. Smoking, drinking… what's next? Going to go sleep with Sirius Black?" he asked harshly, hoping the crudeness would fetch a little of her sanity back. It worked. Piper wrenched her arms from his grip and pushed by him, stalking around the room.

"No… don' un'erstand… Not Sir'us… dum'd me… jus' frien's." she slurred her words and stumbled on her feet, struggling to explain to him as coherently as possible in her state. He couldn't bring himself to feel any sympathy for her whatsoever; she'd brought this upon herself.

"He dumped you? _Moron._" Severus spat, unable to hold back his rage at the Gryffindor. Piper was sober enough to recognise the disguised compliment and shoot him a smile, before she tripped and fell face-forward onto the stone, landing with a crash and a cry. Instantly Severus darted forward to help her up, holding her tenderly. Somehow, she'd managed to avoid causing herself any harm and he was grateful for that.

"Ss-sss-savior!" she blurted out, reaching a hand up to caress his cheek. He lent into her soft touch before jerking away. He would not be carried away; it was against his upbringing. Silently he asked the room for a bed, and it complied. Severus couldn't help but smirk as he helped Piper to lie down; this would be the second night they'd spent together in innocence.

"You need to sleep it off, although I won't envy you in the morning." he said lightly. She grinned up at him and gripped his collar with surprising strength, dragging him down to lie beside her. She had moved him so swiftly that when he made to get up, he found himself trapped beneath her body; her head resting on his chest and a hand reaching up to play with his hair. He relaxed into the embrace, wrapping his arms around her waist and breathing in her scent; lemons and whiskey, at that very moment.

"Love you…" she mumbled into his chest. He frowned as her breathing evened out and she slept.

"Piper, there's something… I need to tell you. Soon. Before Christmas, before I… shall tell you when you wake. When you're better." he whispered. He felt her stir, but she didn't wake so he continued despite his better judgement.

"I'm leaving, Piper. I'm not graduating Hogwarts; he's already put my name down in his ranks. As soon as I turn seventeen, I have to leave the safety of this school… the safety of you." he stopped, taking a shuddering breath. He suddenly wasn't warmed by her presence, only chilled. If the Dark Lord ever found out about her… he couldn't bear to think of the consequences.

"You won't be coming with me. It's just too dangerous… I was going to tell you tonight, but you would never remember if I did and I don't have the strength to say this twice." he stopped there, his heart pounding and his hands shaking. She was asleep and she'd never hear what he was about to say, but still the thought of saying those three words aloud, before her, was nerve-wracking.

"I love you."

The words stung his throat, because he knew he'd never live to hear her reply.

-[-]-

She woke with a pounding in her ears and a dull rumbling in her stomach that had nothing to do with hunger. Quite the opposite, actually, as she felt her throat constrict and bile rise in her throat. Tearing herself from the warmth of her companion's arms, she rolled over and promptly emptied the two and a half bottles of Firewhiskey she'd drank the night before onto the stone floor.

"Piper?" hands immediately pulled back her blonde hair as she spluttered and tried to rid herself of the taste. She smelt, looked and felt horrible, but Severus didn't seem to care about her appearance or hygiene at all. She didn't bother to reply as she retched violently again and felt her eyes burning as the breath and strength left her body. The fit stopped and she was able to lie back on the pillows, her head still ringing and her ears sensitive to every noise; not that there was any to begin with.

"Sorry." she mumbled, a hand on her head to block out what little light was in the room. Severus just sighed and sat up, the blankets falling away to reveal a half-naked Snape. Piper took one look at him and squealed in fright, noticing that she had somehow lost her over clothes and was just in a camisole and pants. He seemed to notice why she was upset and shrugged.

"I was rather warm, so I stripped. You did the same, although I warned you against it." he said defensively. She continued to stare at him in shock.

"Did I… did we… please, tell me we didn't…" she stuttered, and he just laughed at her.

"You seriously think me to be the kind of person to take advantage of you?"

"Not at all!"

"Then why-"

"I can't remember anything after Sirius dumped me." she admitted, tears springing to her eyes despite herself. Severus celebrated the news internally, selfishly; _I get her all to myself…_

"I'm sorry to hear that." he said, not sounding sorry at all. Piper scoffed and searched herself for her wand, finding it tangled at the bottom of the bed.

"_Scourgify." _she muttered, cleaning the room from ceiling to floor. Quietly, she stood to brush her hair and wash in the small basin the room provided. Severus watched her carefully, taking note of the way her shoulders slumped and her breathing was ragged. Her hangover certainly wasn't going away any time soon.

"I don't think you should go to breakfast." he said as she collapsed on the bed, her arms and legs shaking.

"Not planning on it." she muttered, her head in her hands. She had pulled her hair back in a tight ponytail, which was pulling at her already sore skin and making the headache worse.

"Good. Stay here." he replied. Piper shook her head and groaned; _that was a mistake…_

"Pip? You- you look a little green." he remarked. She made a small non-committed sound in the back of her throat, breathing heavily. Bile was once again rising in her throat and she made no attempt to stop it, merely summoning a bucket to catch it.

"That's it! I'm taking you to the hospital wing!" Severus exclaimed, and Piper stood and whirled in a panic, swaying dangerously and sinking to her knees to stop the ground shaking.

"No! No, no! We weren't supposed to drink, and the smoking! Woodhouse will kill us!" she cried, coughing in the middle of her sentence. Severus hardened his heart and took her arm.

"You are going to the hospital wing. I cannot take care of you, and you will just have to live with the consequences! Perhaps you should have thought of that before you drank yourself to oblivion." he snapped in return, leading her into the hallway firmly yet gently. Piper didn't make any more attempts to change his mind, she was too busy thinking of excuses to keep her house out of trouble.


	6. Confusion

_6_

_Confusion._

_An announcement at dinner makes Sirius think twice about giving up on Piper. _

Piper moved hesitantly through the hallway at Hogwarts. After the trip to the hospital wing the week before, Ravenclaw house hadn't been her biggest fan. She'd told Madam Pomfrey that they weren't involved, but still she lost the house one hundred hard-earned points and gained them all a curfew, along with being banned from Hogsmeade trips for a month. Sirius, James, Remus and Peter were quite proud of her, although they'd laughed at the sight of her pale skin, limp hair and bloodshot eyes.

"Hey, Pip! Over here!" Lily called, the redhead looking at her friends' eyes quickly. Piper caught the motion and smiled, acting as though she didn't. She hated having people fuss over her, but she knew Severus was right when he said she brought this upon herself.

"Lily. How's James?" Piper teased. Lily blushed and shifted her weight nervously, smiling slightly.

"Oh, you know… big-headed and arrogant as always… ha-ha." her voice was light and airy, hiding the giggle that Lily was so desperately holding back. Piper just smiled and pulled a water bottle from her bag, taking a sip. Lily raised an eyebrow suspiciously and stared at the bottle.

"It's just water." the blonde sighed. Lily scoffed and took it, sipping experimentally before handing it back, satisfied that Piper was telling the truth.

"Good. You've learnt your lesson, then?" she asked as they entered the Great Hall for dinner. Piper nodded and stood on the other side of Lily as they made their way along the aisle between Ravenclaw and Gryffindor. Most of the blue-and-gold house hissed as Piper walked by, their pride hurting from crushing Gryffindor by one hundred points in the match only to lose said points to a stupid Captain who couldn't hold her alcohol.

"Yeah. I'm not playing Quidditch for Hogwarts unless we get in the finals, which is near impossible thanks to me." she said miserably. Lily smirked and stopped beside James, waiting for Piper to either move over to sit with her house or take the seat beside Sirius. Piper sighed heavily, debating which was worse. Sirius shot her a pleading look, and she took the seat beside him reluctantly.

"Hey." he greeted her in a remarkably friendly way. She noticed that he still gave her that all-knowing smirk as she blushed under his gaze. It was as though nothing had ever happened between her, him and Severus… as if she were still the sixth-year madly in love with Sirius Black. He still made her stomach flip over, and it wasn't entirely unpleasant.

"Hey!" she replied a little too earnestly, because his smirk widened and he nudged her with his elbow.

"How's the party girl tonight?" he asked huskily. Piper nearly lost herself in the sound of his voice; they may have broken up, but that didn't mean he had no effect on her.

"Sober and hungry, Sirius." she replied easily, taking a slice of quiche and filling her plate with salad. Remus, his plate full of meat, wrinkled his nose.

"Bloody rabbit food." he teased, indicating the lettuce. Piper giggled.

"Maybe you should try some, Lupin. More healthy than your current diet; beef on chocolate." she teased back. Remus shrugged and looked a little sheepish before taking a mouthful of his beef, following it with a piece of chocolate. Lily crinkled her nose at Piper, who just shrugged.

"Boys." they said in unison, giggling madly when the said 'boys' mocked their laughter and tone quite convincingly, but continued eating their varied and… mental… excuses for food. Remus continued shovelling the chocolate-beef into his mouth; Sirius was 'delicately' slurping his sweet-pea soup, honey cakes and pumpkin juice at the same time, from the same bowl; James had made a sandwich with cheese, meat, mustard, tomato sauce, chocolate sauce, salad and what looked like something light and fluffy, cloud cakes Piper could only assume, and was dipping the whole mixture into his pumpkin juice.

"James… that's a little revolting." Lily said, making the scruffy-haired boy at her side splutter and choke on his food, putting the sandwich down and acting sophisticated.

"Sorry. I just figure, it gets mashed up down below so why not help the process along?" he asked. Even Peter burst out laughing at that, the boys choking on their dinner and the girls nearly wetting themselves.

"Unlike you, Potter, some of us actually appreciate the untainted taste of chocolate." Piper grinned. James shrugged and took another bite sheepishly. Rolling her eyes, Lily helped herself to a bite of James's sandwich, looking a little apprehensive. She chewed it slowly, to the anxious watching of her five companions. James was practically bouncing in his seat, waiting for her approval, and Sirius looked as though he would wet himself with anticipation.

"You know, I think this crazy git might be onto something. It's actually quite good!" she said finally. Piper's eyes boggled out of her head and she coughed to cover up a disbelieving laugh.

"You're kidding, Lils? You like the Pottacular?" James asked, laughing and indicating the sandwich.

"You named it?" Lily asked, shaking her head as James shrugged and grinned. Piper rolled her eyes.

"I know why Ravenclaw kicked arse- we've got a healthy diet." she said. James and Sirius looked affronted.

"Really? So Firewhiskey, marijuana and Butterbeer is a healthy diet?" the latter asked. Piper visibly paled and shrugged meekly, shooting a look over to her house table and wishing suddenly that she could rewind time and stay sober at the party.

"Only after beating Gryffindor, two-hundred-thirty to one-hundred-thirty." she returned haughtily.

"Oh, we'll remember that. You'll get yours, Sedona!" James cried, holding a spoonful of custard in his hand. Piper eyed it warily, slowly standing to duck behind Sirius if the food left his hand.

"Don't you dare, Potter!" she warned. He just smirked and stood up while Sirius ducked to miss the projectile food. It caught Piper on the head and she squealed as it ran down her face.

"Hey!"

"James! Act your age!"

"Good shot, Prongs! That'll teach her!"

"James, calm down- McGonagall's looking this way and we can't afford detention!"

"Revenge is a dish best served cold, Potter!" Piper's exclamation made everyone stare as she silently fished a piece of ice from her pumpkin juice and slipped it down James's shirt. He gave a very unmanly squeal and jumped about, crying for someone to 'stop the pain'. Lily of course jumped to his defence, but James's screaming had attracted the teachers' attentions.

"Attention! Everybody, listen up! I have a very important announcement to make!" Dumbledore's commanding voice stopped the seventh years in their tracks; Piper holding pumpkin juice, Lily holding custard, Remus and Peter still with goofy grins, Sirius freezing inches from Piper's head with a honeycake, and James 'cowering' behind Lily, whimpering as the ice melted and trickled down his chest.

"This year, I thought that after the traditional Christmas Feast, we hold a Yule Ball!" the headmaster cried excitedly, rubbing his hands together. Half the student body- and half the staff- lowered their heads into their hands and groaned, but Dumbledore seemed blissfully unaware of that.

"I think it would be a fabulous way to send off our Seventh Years as a final goodbye, and a good way to close the first term. What do you say?" he shouted happily, raising his arms in celebration. The four Marauders and Lily cheered along with the school happily, James already sinking to one knee in order to ask Lily. Piper just bit her lip and resisted the urge to look over at Severus, not sure she wanted to see his response.

"Pip? You going to go?" Sirius asked casually. Piper shrugged.

"I don't know. I'm a bit behind with my study, and I think I should stay away from parties for now." she replied slowly. Sirius grinned and shrugged.

"Only if you did something you regret." he said. She flushed a deep red, remembering waking next to a half-naked Severus. Sirius caught her eye and guffawed loudly enough to get the attention of the others.

"You _did it _didn't you?! Oh my God, who?!" he asked, bouncing on his heels. Piper just blushed further- if that was possible- and shook her head.

"I didn't, I don't think." she replied. Sirius just grinned wider and, when the Great Hall had calmed down enough, he leapt up onto the table and looked over at the Ravenclaws.

"Oi! Which one of you randy gits slept with the Captain last week?!" he shouted. Piper squealed and pulled him down, hiding her face and glaring at him angrily.

"Idiot! They already hate me, don't you know!" she hissed. Sirius just shrugged.

"Now you can spend more time with me, then." he said. She froze.

"Sirius… what happened to just friends?"

"We are just friends. Just two friends hanging out." his eyes betrayed him though. Piper saw right through the casual attitude; clearly, they weren't as over in his eyes as they were in hers.

"Come on, Pip. I've missed you; we haven't spoken in years."

"Hardly. It's been a week, Padfoot."

"AHA! I knew you weren't mad at me anymore!" he cried triumphantly. Piper rolled her eyes and noticed Lily whispering to James, who was smirking in their direction and smiling. She felt sickly nervous suddenly, but shoved the feeling down and looked at Sirius.

"Just because I use your nickname, doesn't mean you're forgiven." she informed him.

"Come on, Piper. I reckon you should give him another chance; you're perfect together!" Lily interrupted. Piper wrinkled her nose and took a breath to reply…

"Completely. You complete him." James threw in. Piper rolled her eyes and tried again.

"I don't-"

"Yeah, you're his brain!" Peter said. Nobody was even aware that he'd been following the conversation. Piper looked in his direction and saw the dumpy boy had been watching interestedly, while Remus had escaped into a book again.

"That was actually intelligent, Wormtail." James said, surprise etched on his handsome face. Peter looked put out and Sirius just huffed, sulking.

"You don't have to sound so surprised. I'm as corrupt as you are." Peter replied haughtily, filling his plate with desserts again. Piper rolled her eyes and looked back to Sirius, who hadn't stopped pouting.

"How exactly do I complete him, other than being his smarter self?" she asked, and Sirius turned to her.

"You're the sunshine in my rain." he said seriously. Piper's breath caught in her throat and she barely recognised the 'awws' coming from Lily and the surrounding females. She couldn't tear her eyes away from Sirius, who looked almost desperate.

"You're the one who ended it." she whispered. He nodded and took her hands, not noticing the flinch nor the confusion in her eyes.

"I know! I've been thinking about it all week and I want you back. You're… like the better part of me. You make me who I am."

"Sirius, stop it. Please stop it with the sugary words, the flattery. Give me some time to think… I'll… see you tomorrow…" she said, standing and rushing from the Great Hall before anyone could catch her. She didn't pause to see if Severus was following; she knew he was.


	7. Comfort

_7_

_Comfort._

_Severus wants the best for Piper, even if that includes leaving her with Sirius._

Severus watched her enter their room and he followed her, pushing in and slamming the door in his haste to see what had upset her. She stood so close to him, her skin pale with shock and her blonde hair held up in a high ponytail. He usually would have paused to admire her, his situation, but her bottom lip was trembling and she threw herself at him, trusting him to catch her.

"He wants me back." she muttered, her voice muffled by his shirt. He stiffened and sighed, lowering his head to hers. He didn't say anything; she didn't expect him to. What was there to say?

"But as soon as I need someone to support me, he'll say it's too complicated and run off again." she continued bitterly. Still he stayed silent, just holding her and waiting for the pivotal moment where she'd tell him she'd accepted Sirius back; he had never had much trust in their relationship, fragile as it was.

"You're always my rock though. It was _you _I ran to when things got tough… it's you, Severus. You're the one who'll stay by me no matter what happens, you're the one I-"

"Piper, stop. Before you kill me with your words. I need… there's something…" he stopped, taking a deep breath as he slipped away from her, unconsciously blocking the door from her escape. She didn't notice, her eyes were trained on his as he struggled to find the words. It was a rare occasion indeed when Severus Snape was lost for words, and Piper knew it.

"Severus?" she questioned softly, not making any move to go closer or run away. He was grateful as he drew a ragged breath and looked her in the eye.

"I'm leaving." he said, and saw her heart break. Her mouth opened and closed, lost for words, for emotion, and her body shook. She stared at him, willing him to grin and tell her it was a joke, that he didn't mean it. He held her gaze and she knew it was true; he was really leaving.

"When?" she asked. She didn't bother to ask why. The whole school knew that Snape, Mulciber and Avery were Death-Eaters in training, although she'd tried so hard to get him to change his mind. Nothing had worked, and slowly she had resigned herself to loving a Death Eater.

"My birthday. The instant I turn seventeen."

"January. That's only two months, Severus." she reminded him coldly. He flinched and smiled apologetically, the movement feeling foreign on his face. Piper looked down at her hands and wrung her fingers lightly, anything to avoid looking at the boy before her.

"You're not graduating with us, then."

"Obviously. Piper, this has been arranged for months now." he hated himself when she winced and swayed, looking as though she might fall. She steadied herself though, and turned her eyes on him pleadingly.

"An extra two months? You can't wait?"

"It isn't my decision. He needs supporters, and that's what I am. Everything is finalized."

"Promise you'll come see me." she demanded, stepping slowly toward him. His heart pounded in his chest as she touched his cheek, wrapping her arms around his neck and drawing him as close to her body as she could.

"Severus? Even if it's just for a moment, come see me." she whispered. He could only nod and wish that their paths were different. He'd give anything to be able to keep her, but he knew in his heart that he'd lose her anyway.

"I need to ask you something." he said firmly, not allowing a shred of his emotions into his voice. She silently summoned a couch and they sat as one, although she didn't remove herself from his embrace.

"Do you want him back?" he asked. She stiffened and jerked upright, glaring at him.

"No." she said, her voice wavering slightly. That was all he needed to know. Even if it killed him to set her free, Severus was going to do it for her.

"You do. You're happy with him-"

"I'm happy with you!" she argued, but he shook his head.

"He's better for you."

"Shut up, Severus, just shut up! Stop talking like this is the last time we have; as if our lives will be over any second! Stop telling me who I should love; you're not the first person to think I'm crazy for caring about you, believe me! But I do! I can't stop thinking about you and I DON'T WANT SIRIUS! I WANT YOU!" her voice rose to a scream as she stormed around the room, resisting the urge to throw something at him.

"Even when being with me could kill you?"

"My life is worthless without you in it."

"You're over-dramatizing the situation, Piper. In two months, I'll be a Death Eater and you'll be graduating Hogwarts with an apprenticeship at Saint Mungo's. You'll be cleaning up my horror and I'll be cursing myself everyday for it. I want you, too, you've got to-" once again he found his words cut off with her lips on his, her hands caressing his body in a way she knew drove him crazy. But this time, he needed to tell her and he wasn't letting her distract him.

"Piper, please allow me to finish. We can't be together. I'm going to be one of them and there's not a chance anywhere that I'll allow you to ruin yourself for me. You're so much better than me, you deserve someone who can and will be able to protect you. Someone who's not constantly looking over his shoulder, fearing attack from his own."

"You think Sirius isn't? He's a Black and he's in Gryffindor, Severus. His family are out to get him and half his house used to be."

"I know that."

"You're not below me. I don't know how you even bring yourself to think these things."

"I'm a Dark Wizard, Piper! I'm going to _kill _people like you in three months! I could be ordered to kill _you _for all I know!"

"So stay with me. When you're seventeen, we'll run."

"Flee the war? I think not. I'm fighting it; could you really leave all your friends?"

"… No." she sounded miserably bitter as she looked at him seriously, as she finally realised that he was joining the Dark Lord and she couldn't stop him, even if she cried a million tears.

"You join him then. But you come back to see me on Graduation, Severus. And you take me to the Yule Ball. And you promise, you _promise _that when the war is over you'll come find me." she listed things on her fingers and he couldn't help but smile, threading his fingers through hers and kissing them softly.

"I can promise two of those, two only. But as for the third I can only swear to try my hardest or die trying to find you."

"That's all I ask. But don't die. You need to live for me; you are my life."

"Don't, Piper. I'm not a good place to stow such faith." he held back a grin as she glared at him, her eyes frosting over and her lips moving towards his again.

"Don't care, Severus, don't wanna, don't talk, don't care." she said, punctuating each statement with a kiss. He did smile then, and laced a hand through her hair.

"You know I'm no good for you."

"Yeah. But with my track record of unhealthy habits, I really don't think this is going to make much difference."


	8. Decision Time

_8_

_Decision Time._

_The Yule Ball is rapidly approaching. Who will Piper chose to be her date; the romantic Sirius, intent on winning her heart, or the troubled Severus, still in turmoil over his destiny?_

Piper rose well before the sun, back in her dorm for the first time in nearly a week. Every night since Severus's confession, she'd snuck out to meet him and they'd spent their nights together, talking and playing chess and making promises neither were sure they could keep. Slowly dressing in her Quidditch robes, she found her eyes drawn to a note tucked inside the robes she'd worn the day before.

_Piper, meet me by the Quidditch Pitch before your practise this weekend. I need to discuss something with you, it is of great importance._

It wasn't signed, but Piper recognised the writing. With a small, secret smile, she spent an extra five minutes on her makeup- unnecessary at best- before grabbing her broom from its' place beneath her bed and rushing down to the Pitch. She even took a risk by flying through the main doors and up into the sky, enjoying the rush. Dawn had yet to creep over Hogwarts, but the darkness didn't bother the blonde as she flew in lazy loops around the turrets. She stopped dawdling, then, and made her way directly to the Pitch, landing a while away to walk slowly and compose herself to look 'tired'. Not that that would be very hard; Piper always looked tired.

"Severus?" she called, stepping out to the middle of the field and waiting. He would join her soon, that she knew… she wasn't expecting the magical lights to suddenly burst into life, making the pitch glow and Piper squeeze her eyes shut against the burning light.

"What the- who's there?" she called, seeing a shadow through her eyes. At the chuckle, her eyes snapped open and she scrambled to her feet quickly.

"Sirius! W-what are you doing here?"

"I saw you flying through the halls and decided to join you. Before the rest get here." he remarked casually. Piper felt a blinding flash of rage at him. She was supposed to be meeting _Severus_ that morning, not the immature, boy-wonder Black! Sirius had a knack of ruining her good mood, and this was just a perfect example of it.

"They will be along shortly, so I really don't have time to talk." she said curtly. Sirius looked bemused as he took a step towards her, and Piper stepped back.

"Come on, Pip, I thought we were friends again." he said beseechingly, holding his hand out for her to take. Piper just backed away further, her broom held in her hand.

"That may be, but your eyes tell a different story." she said curtly, her eyes darting to in the shadows around the edge of the pitch, trying to catch some sign of Severus's presence. Sirius's expression now looked rather shocked and his eyes narrowed.

"You're meeting someone out here." he accused. Piper winced and hated that he knew her. She didn't reply, and Sirius took her silence as agreement. His fists clenched by his side, and his jaw tensed in anger.

"Well, if that's all the regard I get, so be it." with that, he turned on his heel and stalked away. Piper watched him go and her anger melt. She truly hadn't meant for him to be angry at her; she didn't want to fight with him. With a small sigh, she got back on her broom and flew up into the dawn. _Why is that every time I speak to Sirius, I run to Severus in tears? Well, not this time!_

"Dammit, Sirius! Why can't you just leave me alone!" she cried, her words snatched by the wind. She looked down to see Sirius walking back to the castle, the slender form of Severus trailing behind and out of sight. Piper hovered about and silently watched the two boys she loved disappear back into the castle. Grinding her teeth, she flew back to the Quidditch Pitch and practised some of the more advanced solo drills for fliers; anything to distract her from the difficulty of her situation.

-[-]-

She was exhausted when she finally found a seat among her house for breakfast. She barely noticed Sirius's hurt, angry stare, but all through her rushed meal, she felt it.

"Piper? Oi, Captain!" Emma Thomas snapped her fingers in front of Piper's face, startling the brooding blonde from her thoughts. Of all the disgruntled team, Emma was the only one to stand by her after the fiasco of Piper's fall from grace. With an apologetic smile, Piper turned to her favourite Seeker and raised an eyebrow.

"Yes, Emma?"

"Well, I was thinking…"

"Did it hurt?" Piper teased. Emma gave her a dirty look and scoffed, stirring her porridge with one hand while she examined her fingernails intently.

"Well, anyways… since you're not… you know, with Sirius… could you… maybe, you don't have to, but-"

"Emma, get to the point."

"Okay, could you slip in a good word for me? Please? I mean, if it won't be awkward or weird or anything." Emma looked nervous and she was flushing furiously. Piper froze and tried to formulate a reply. If Sirius's attention was on Emma instead of her, she would have more time with Severus before the ball… but did she really want to see Emma Thomas with Sirius? With a quick glance over her shoulder to where Sirius was sitting miserably, she decided on her answer.

"Sure, Em."

"So, no weirdness?" Emma asked with a raised eyebrow. Piper shook her head and held out her hand to shake on the deal. Emma smiled.

"Nope, zero weirdness." Piper replied, marvelling at how Emma's eyes lit up at the thought. She looked almost sceptical of Piper's decision.

"You're such a great friend, Piper. I'd hate to see my ex dating one of my friends- especially when my ex is Sirius Black." Emma's voice was just a little too loud, making Piper cringe away and shoot another cursory glance over to Sirius, who was now glaring in her direction.

"Emma, please-"

"Oh, gosh, how insensitive! You must really want to get this over with, right Piper?"

"No, actually. I'm not his favourite person in the world at the moment; he's got good reason to hate me." Piper's voice was quiet and she wished Emma's face didn't fall with pity and anxiety.

"But you will still talk to him, right?"

"Yeah, Emma. Just not now- I've got Advanced Potions, I'll see you later." she said, standing quickly and walking out of the hall, ignoring the eyes of two young men following her every move. Her mind was in turmoil, but in her heart she knew who she would chose. And he was following her discreetly at that very moment, making her question every step and every move she made.

"Severus." she said, feeling him walking beside her. He chuckled under his breath and nudged her elbow. No-one could have imagined the effect that simple touch had on her as she just smiled and kept walking.

"So, Sirius asked you to the Ball, Cinderella?"

"Very funny- he wouldn't know a fairytale if it bit his nose off."

"Must you draw attention to that particular part of a human body?" he asked. Piper looked at him sideways and giggled as he made a face at her. It was just as well the corridor was sparsely occupied; Severus never showed this side of himself in public.

"I'm terribly sorry. I love your nose, though."

"God, Piper, you're mental."

"From you that's a compliment." at those words he grabbed her elbow and dragged her out of the main hallway and into an abandoned classroom, leaning against the door behind him as Piper made herself busy attacking his lips.

"Mmph- Piper! I wanted to speak with- mph- you, although I'm not saying I don't enjoy this." his serious face made Piper pull away although she heard the joke in his voice. She stayed with her arms around his waist as he smiled into her hair.

"The Ball- you should go with Sirius."

"I wish you'd stop that nonsense. You promised, Severus Snape." her voice was suddenly sharp as she dug her fingers into his ribs. He smiled again and kissed her forehead.

"You really want them to find out?"

"I really don't care." she smirked, grinning when he sighed and pushed her far enough away so he could stare into her eyes, trying to see how serious she was.

"I love you, Severus- and if I have to dance with you in public, so be it." she whispered. Severus choked as he kissed her forehead softly, drawing her back into his arms.

"So be it." he echoed, pulling her tighter against him before releasing her so they could both run to Potions before Slughorn threw a fit.


	9. He Asked Me First

_9_

_He Asked Me First_

_Sirius finds out who Piper is taking to the Ball… it leads to an unexpected resolution to the tension between them._

Remus was alone in the library, much to Piper's relief. Sirius had been avoiding her like the plague since their meeting on the Pitch a week before, and as a result, Piper had been restricting herself to the Ravenclaw Common Room unless she could help it. It hurt to know that her Gryffindor friends weren't her biggest fans, even more when Lily turned her back.

"Remus?" Piper called. The brown-haired boy jumped and looked at her slightly fiercely. She almost regretted coming to him with the particular question, but since she couldn't get anywhere near Sirius, Remus was her best bet. He'd listen to her… he had to.

"What do you want, Piper? Breaking more hearts?" Remus snapped. Piper flinched and angrily sat down beside him, her eyes blazing with anger.

"Don't read me the righteous act, Lupin, as if Sirius has never done something like that before. _He's _the one who ended it with _me, _remember? Look, I came to ask your help in dealing with him. Are you in or not?" she hissed. Remus was breathing heavily and he finally nodded.

"How are we helping him?"

"Emma Thomas." Piper's voice was triumphant and Remus sighed.

"He doesn't need another girl, he needs you." he said. Piper bit her lip and shook her head.

"No. He needs to move on, Remus."

"He can't, Piper! Every waking thought of his is you! He followed you out to the Quidditch Pitch to ask you to the Ball- but you blew him off! You're killing him!" Remus cried, his voice overly loud. Piper just glared at him and motioned for silence.

"If you think I don't care you're wrong, but Remus, it's just not going to work. Sirius and I, that is. He _must _move on- don't tell me he can't! How many times have you and I both picked up the pieces after a situation just like this? Sirius is just being a drama king- you know it!"

"Oh Piper… I hate seeing him upset. I hate seeing my friends divided."

"We don't have to be. Put in a good word for Emma for me, please. Help him; help me." Piper left him there, walking away and back to her dorm before the Gryffindor could call her back. He just sighed, knowing that no matter how hard they tried, Piper would never go back to Sirius.

-[-]-

"Piper!" Remus' voice was urgent, making the blonde stop in her tracks. She couldn't see her fellow Prefect, but that didn't mean anything. She knew enough of the Marauders' nightlife to know of the Cloak. She peered into the shadows, casually reaching for her wand. It had been just four hours since she had commissioned his help; and she had spent those four hours wandering the halls and wondering if she was doing the right thing.

"Remus? Where are you?" she whispered, standing still in fear of running him down.

"To your left. Enter the door after me." he instructed. Piper turned on her heel and smiled as the door opened and she stepped through it slowly, pretending to be examining her book. She jumped when it slammed behind her, and someones' wand lit up the entire room.

"Hello, Piper." it wasn't Remus who greeted her, but another Marauder whose very voice nearly made Piper collapse; Sirius.

"Sirius." she said curtly, looking about nervously for Remus. Sirius just laughed coldly as he stared up at the ceiling, a perfect replica of the Great Hall's.

"I hear you're taking Severus Snape to the ball." he remarked. Piper closed her eyes and lowered her head. This was not something she wanted to discuss with him- not at all. Sirius _hated _Severus! Instead of answering- for truly, she could think of nothing to say- Piper remained silent and waited for Sirius to continue.

"Have you really sunk that low?" he asked. Piper shook with rage as she snapped into a straight-backed position, her eyes glaring daggers at her former boyfriend.

"How dare you? Leave. Severus. Alone." she growled dangerously. Sirius just smirked and kicked a foot idly at a nearby desk.

"Why? He stole my girl-"

"He did nothing of the sort!" she interrupted. Sirius held up his hands and smiled wistfully, slowly standing and tracing a finger over a tiny groove in a desk- their initials surrounded by a heart.

"Let's not fight, Piper. Please? Can't we just have a friendly conversation?" he pleaded softly. Piper's eyes narrowed and she shrugged tightly, wishing she could leave but not daring to. Sirius was known for rash decisions, and she wanted his word that he would not harm Severus. As rash and stupid as Sirius could be, he was loyal and he would never break a promise.

"I think our definitions of 'friend' differ greatly, Sirius." she replied, slightly warily. Sirius sighed gruffly and ran a hand through his hair, making it messier than usual and emphasising the oily texture. Piper was confused as the light hit his face at a more direct angle and she could see the bags under his eyes, the weariness that no seventeen-year-old should have.

"Are you alright? Are you sleeping?" she asked, softening at his dishevelled, dirty appearance. He shrugged and tried to smile.

"Yes and no." he replied. His voice was rough, another indication that he wasn't in the best of health. Piper drew a heavy breath and set her books on a nearby table, leaning against it heavily.

"Yes and no?" she croaked. Remus' words from hours previously ran through her mind; _you're killing him…_ Sirius just shrugged and ran a hand through his hair. It seemed to be a nervous gesture- copied from James, no doubt.

"Yes, I'm alright… no, I'm not sleeping. Not very well at least." he admitted quietly, avoiding her eyes. Piper felt her heart jolt with pity. What had she done to him?

"Why? If you don't mind me asking…" she trailed off pathetically at his pointed, longing look. He didn't reply as his cheeks gained a flush and he looked away. That was the only indication she needed to send waves of guilt crashing over her, making her physically shake and feel sick to her stomach.

"Oh, Sirius…"

"Don't do that." he whispered brokenly. She looked away from him, unwilling to see the exact depth of the pain she'd caused him. It was hard enough to listen to his laboured breathing over the pounding of her heart in her ears, and the stabs of pain coursing through her body. This was her fault. She had broken Sirius Black. _Her fault._

"I'm sorry. So incredibly sorry." she whispered, turning and fleeing from the abandoned room, her hair and robes flying out behind her in her haste to escape. She didn't turn around when he called her name, and she didn't stop running until she stood, panting, by the Statue leading into the Ravenclaw Common Room. She tried to catch her breath, hoping Sirius wouldn't catch her before she did.

"_What can be broken with just a single word?" _the statue asked. Piper nearly fell to her knees. Was the entire school out to make her feel like a terrible person?

"A heart." she whispered, and the doors swung wide for her.

"No!" Sirius called as she stepped through them. Piper felt her heart break- he sounded so dead, broken… and she couldn't take it. She'd broken her best friend's heart and her lover was leaving in just five short weeks. Why could nothing be simple for her?

"Why is it so hard?" she asked the empty air in the private Prefects' room. Of course, the only reply she received was a quiet whistle of the wind through the trees in the Forbidden Forest. She thought she heard a howl over top of it, but cast it aside. It wasn't a full moon- what other animal could howl like that? Like Moony on his wildest of nights?

"Oh, please…" she murmured, flying to her window which offered a perfect view of the forest, just in time to see a large black shadow running across the snowy grounds and disappearing into the trees.

"Sirius, I'm sorry. I didn't want this… didn't want to hurt you. Please forgive me." she whispered, a palm held against the glass. The memory of that howl stayed with her through her darkest dreams- haunting her, hurting her, although she knew that she deserved whatever pain she got. Sirius was heartbroken and _she _had done it. Slowly, Piper stepped away from the glass to lie facedown on her bed, not even bothering to change out of her robes, as she began to dream…

_Her eyes were locked on his form from across the room. Even through the distance that separated them, his good looks and incredible charm still effected her. She felt drawn to him, and even as she drew closer and saw the necklace of broken hearts he wore, she couldn't move away._

"_Hey there, Piper-mine." he whispered, his hand ghosting across her hip, setting her skin alight._

"_Sirius Black, since when have I been yours?" she replied smoothly, moving closer to him despite her mind screaming at her not to. She had no control over herself, even as she felt her heart pushing its' way out of her chest as he touched her cheek softly. Gently, Sirius turned her to face him and softly kissed her, none of the expected demanding, instead soft and sweet. Her breath stuck in her throat and she found herself only just standing on shaking legs._

"_Since now." he murmured, still holding her against his body. Piper smiled back at him even as her heart tore from her chest and attached to the necklace around his neck._

Piper jolted upright, gasping for breath and covered in a thin sheen of sweat. She licked her lips and was surprised to taste tears, although the memory was one of her happier ones.

"Why am I crying?" she asked the empty room.

_You still love him._

"No. No, I can't. I love Severus."

_You still love Sirius._

"No!" Piper shouted, standing swiftly and falling as her legs refused cope with her weight. She didn't believe it- Severus was the one she loved, right? Sirius was her past. Severus was her present.

_But who is your future?_


	10. The Ball

_10_

_The Ball_

_Severus and Piper at the ball… and after it._

She stood with her fellow Ravenclaw Prefect- Hayden Grant-, much to her discontent. He had his arm around her waist and she had to suppress a shudder, wishing it was Severus holding her tightly against his body. She had pulled her blonde hair up in a fancy twist, letting the tips of it just scrape her shoulders in delicate ringlets. Her emerald green gown swept the floor, covering the satin shoes she wore beneath it. Hayden hadn't liked the colour at first, but she'd stuck to her guns and told him in no uncertain terms that she was wearing green. With all the preparations for the Ball, Piper had all but forgotten about both Sirius and Severus, until that night.

"Hey, Pip." Sirius whispered, cutting his way between her and Hayden. She smiled gratefully as he lead her over to James, Lily, Remus, Ally and Peter.

"Hey." Piper greeted. They smiled and returned to their own little worlds, while Piper turned to Sirius.

"Are you any better?" she asked. He smiled and nodded- his improved appearance a testament to that.

"Yeah. I had a long talk with Moony… and I came to the conclusion that, if we can't be… what we were… then I'd like to be your friend at the very least. If you'll let me." he explained. Piper restrained herself from throwing herself at Remus in thanks, instead smiling at Sirius happily.

"I would like to be your friend again, Sirius." she complied. He seemed to glow and smiled at someone beyond Piper's shoulder, squeezing her hand once before brushing by her to twirl a black-haired girl onto the dance floor. Piper stared at them, feeling slightly jealous, before she realised who Sirius was dancing with- Emma.

"Wonderful." she murmured, politely excusing herself from the 'lovers corner' and weaving her way through the crowd to blend in with the décor. She had yet to set her eyes on the person she most wanted to see… but she knew he would be there somewhere.

"Oh, I love this song…" she murmured, hearing the first few notes of a Muggle song- _I Do, _by _98 Degrees. _She looked toward the band, and saw a boy in black watching her a quick glance at Sirius, who was talking animatedly with Emma, Piper joined the Slytherin in leaning against the wall.

"Dance with me?" she asked. He scoffed and watched the couples gliding across the floor.

"I don't dance."

"Please? You know I love this song…" she pleaded, and he relented with a sigh, taking her hand and waist as he twirled her into the centre of the floor. His black eyes shone with excitement but that was the only sign he gave; if anything, they looked cool and reluctant to be in each other's company.

"_I do… cherish you_

_For the rest of my life_

_You don't have to think twice_

_I will… love you still_

_From the depths of my soul_

_It's beyond my control_

_I've waited so long_

_To say this to you_

_If you're asking do I love you this much_

_I do…" _the lyrics of the chorus struck a chord in both their hearts and Piper tightened her grip on him, as if he would disappear if she let go. Severus couldn't hold back a smile as he pulled her closer, abandoning the formal attitude. He really didn't care if Sirius saw the way he felt about her- in three weeks, he'd be gone. His step faltered and she noticed it, her sea-green eyes shooting up to stare at his face for some sign of what he was feeling.

"I'm sorry." he whispered as they slowly stopped dancing. She shook her head and wrapped her arms around his neck.

"Don't be. Just dance with me- live in the moment, Severus." he took her words to heart and forced himself to stop thinking about his future, to stop thinking about _her _future.

"I love you. So damned much it hurts." he murmured. The music drowned his words out, but she caught the general gist of what he said as she smiled against his neck and discreetly pressed her lips to his skin. He suppressed a shudder as a sudden thought struck him. He hesitated before voicing it, not sure what her reaction would be.

"Do you want to get out of here?" he whispered. She giggled and pulled away a little, nodding and smiling.

"I'd love to." she replied. With that, the two turned their backs on one another and made their way back into the crowd, both heading for the doors without appearing to be following each other. Severus let her escape first as he made perfectly sure Sirius hadn't spotted her leaving; relieved to find the Gryffindor standing by the refreshment table, but shocked to discover the barely masked misery on the other man's face.

"Thank you." Severus muttered to Sirius as he slipped through the doors and found Piper waiting for him. She shot him a wicked grin as she took his hand, spinning herself into him in the middle of the corridor. In the gloom, he just made out the sparkle of her necklace before her lips captured his own in a searing kiss. Unable to breathe, to think, Severus just let her do what she would, until she pulled away and breathed heavily.

"Been wanting to do that all week." she murmured. He sniggered and drew her face up to return the favour.

"My thoughts exactly." he mumbled against her lips, letting his hands roam over her body. They had quite a lot of difficulty making it to the Room of Requirement, as neither of them had the restraint to keep their hands to themselves. Finally pushing the door open and slamming it shut with a gentle kick, Piper fell back onto the bed that had remained permanently in the room and giggled as Severus took up a position on top of her.

"Been wanting to do this all year." he smirked. With a playful giggle, Piper pushed his dress-robes from his shoulders, their clothing quickly disappearing in a flurry of limbs, sweat, moans and cries.

-[-]-

He woke in the morning warmer than he'd ever been in his life. The body at his side fit perfectly with his, and he remembered just how well they fit as she let out a content sigh and her eyes flickered open.

"Morning." she mumbled sleepily, stretching her legs and nudging his hip with her knee. He smirked- she was so short compared to him, it was almost comical.

"Good morning." he replied. She placed a feather-light kiss on the plane of his shoulder and sat up, covering herself with the blanket. He raised an eyebrow at her modesty, and she blushed.

"What?" she asked defensively. Shaking his head, he sat up and kissed her softly, their lips moulding together perfectly as her tongue slipped into his mouth. Pleasantly surprised at the unusual show of dominance from Piper, Severus tested his luck by sliding a hand to her thigh. She broke the kiss and raised an eyebrow at him this time, looking far too comical. He snorted and shook his head at her.

"You look so… adorable, I suppose, when you're being modest. You were anything but last night." he finally answered her question, to which she scoffed nervously.

"I'm not in the habit of waking naked and in a bed occupied by two." she countered, smiling as she stood, carrying the blanket with her and leaving him totally exposed.

"Oi!" he shouted, looking for something to cover himself with and finally deciding on a pillow.

"You look so adorable when you're being modest. You were anything but last night." she mocked. He glared at her wickedly and abandoned his attempts at hiding, instead crossing the room in three large strides to take her in his arms.

"Want to try it again?" he asked. She looked as though she was seriously considering it for a moment, before shaking her head sadly.

"I think I found a place to stay after Hogwarts. I'm going house-hunting today." she told him softly, donning her newly summoned Muggle clothes quickly. She left her hair down, so it trailed over her shoulders and still sparkled with left over glitter from the ball.

"Want some company?" he asked. She smiled and nodded, offering her arm for him to take.

"Of course I do."

As they left Hogwarts together, they both felt a little part of themselves slip away and stay behind within the gates. It wasn't an entirely unpleasant thought either.


	11. A New Home

_11_

_A New Home_

_Piper finally finds somewhere to live and invites Severus to stay with her._

"_Well, that was productive." Severus sneered as he and Piper made their way out of a third 'house' they had been shown. The constant stares and whispers of the Muggles - why are they moving together so young? Bet she's knocked up- _had grated on his nerves until he could barely stand it. Piper had gritted her teeth and bore it silently, although her somewhat snappy manner had shone through at times.

"Yes, quite." she replied coldly. Her attitude was not for him, but for the estate agent who had shown them four tiny apartments and one dirty place in a terrible neighbourhood that Severus had dragged Piper away from as soon as they set foot there. The way the locals had looked at her… it made him shudder to think.

"Well, there's only one more place to look at. It's a ways out of town- in Leeds, to be exact. Lovely little place, perfect for a budding family." both Piper and Severus caught the scorn in their guide's tone, but neither made any outward sign.

"Wonderful. Shall we, Piper?" she took his offered arm as they once again took the backseat of the agent's car and rode in silence into the country. The grass was longer and greener the further they went from the city, and Piper rapidly got her hopes up. In such beautiful surroundings, she wouldn't care if the house needed fixing. She would be able to legally do magic from the third of April, anyway.

"I think I like where this is going." Severus murmured. Piper nodded vaguely, but her heart was racing as their speed slowed and the car turned onto a mossy drive lined by huge old oak trees. The sun shone through the leaves in dapples, giving the road a patchwork effect of grey, gold and green. Piper swallowed as she strained to see the house, and her breath caught in her throat as a small, pleasant, two-storey cottage rose from between the embrace of two hillocks covered in tall grass.

"Is that the house?" she asked quietly, reverently. Severus held back an eye-roll, but grudgingly admitted that it looked very pleasant- and easy to magically defend.

"Yes. This is _Armonia Casa, _which means Harmony House in Spanish. It was originally the holiday house of the Spanish Ambassador, before the new complex was built. This has been rather overlooked since, as it is so far from anywhere. Travel time is a factor, of course."

"Of course it is. That won't be a problem for me." Piper said quickly, her door open and her feet on the ground before the car had totally stopped moving. Severus was instantly beside her, their guide not far behind.

"It has two bedrooms upstairs with the bathroom, and a small servant's quarters out the back. There is a kitchen, a basement and a living room. The kitchen is a little old-fashioned, and the electricity isn't hooked up. Water is a manual task, the well is beside the servants' quarters. The entrance to the basement is under the stairs. These hills and the field on the crest belong to the property too, along with the fields either side of the drive. Please feel free to examine the property." the words sounded rehearsed, but Piper didn't care. She was entranced by the whole place- it felt serene, calm and a little exciting. She was already making plans for creating a small Quidditch Pitch in one of the fields, and converting the servant's quarters into a place for Remus if he required it.

"It's beautiful." she breathed, quickly pushing open the white front door and entering the entry hall. To her left, she saw the living room with an ornate fireplace and plenty of room for books, and to her right there was the kitchen. It wasn't a large kitchen, but it would suit her fine. She didn't cook much anyway. Straight ahead the stairs beckoned, and Piper took Severus' hand as she made her way up them. Silently, they both agreed that this was the house for Piper.

"Oh, Severus… look at that view." Piper murmured, opening the window in what appeared to be the Master Bedroom. Severus silently agreed with her; the greenery rolled away from them and finally disappeared into a grove of more old oak trees, and both could see the glistening of a stream that also disappeared amongst the trees.

"Perfect for Quidditch." she murmured happily, turning away reluctantly to inspect the closet. It was small, but Piper just shrugged and idly touched the pocket she kept her wand in. Severus smiled at her and lead the way into the next room.

"I could make this into a guest room. No doubt that the others will crash here." she muttered slightly discontentedly. Severus raised an eyebrow at her.

"And the thought of your friends visiting makes you upset?" he queried. She shrugged and ran a hand along a dust-coated windowsill.

"Not really… it's just, I was kind of hoping someone else would stay with me here during Christmas." she said softly, her eyes locked on his. He felt a blush rising in his cheeks and shifted his weight, looking beyond Piper and into the yard. This room didn't have such a fantastic view, but it was still beautiful.

"Oh? And who would that be?" he asked quietly, stalking towards her as she gave him a wicked grin and slid her arms around his waist.

"Oh, I don't know… you?"

"Me?"

"Please." she amended hastily, watching his reaction vary from surprise to happiness to nervous and back through the three. Finally he settled on happiness as he nodded and lowered his mouth to hers.

-[-]-

They returned to Hogwarts late that evening, stumbling in for their final night at the castle before heading back to the little house on the hill. Dumbledore had written a request to the Ministry to have Piper's Trace lifted for the two weeks, and the reply was expected in the morning.

"Do you think you'll get the exception?" Severus asked, his arm around Piper's shoulder. Both were slightly tipsy after the celebration drinks Piper had insisted on, but Severus had been responsible and pulled her away from the bar before she could make herself ill.

"Oh, I hope so. It'd be great… wonderful. I could fix it up, move in properly… you know?" her voice was thick, but still coherent. Severus shook his head and resisted the urge to giggle at her. It wouldn't be proper, he thought.

"Don't you need furniture?"

"Hmm, yeah. Must go shopping- wanna come?" she invited quickly. He sighed, imagining the horror of a full day shopping- but relished the thought of being with _her _all day long and no Sirius Black interrupting them. Piper stuck out her bottom lip and pouted at him, making his resolve crumble and he nodded in agreement.

"I can get most of my stuff from home when Mum's not around, so I really only need a couch, a bookcase, curtains, a few decorations and the kitchen stuff. Oh, and the guest room furniture… I'll get that later." she informed him, checking things off on her fingers as they made their way to the top of the dungeon stairs. Piper had planned to spend this last night at Hogwarts with the Gryffindors, and Severus had agreed. His Slytherin friends had requested his company too- Mulciber and Avery had some last minute plans for him.

"Good night, Piper. Sleep well- and alone." he teased. She gave him a frosty glare but softened the effects by pecking at his lips. She would never have done so if they were being watched- which they were not.

"See you in the morning, yeah?" she whispered, running her hand through his hair and grinning as his eyes slid closed. Suddenly their agreement to spend this last school night alone didn't seem so fantastic.

"This is the last time I'll stand at these steps." he whispered, his heart hammering in his chest. He remembered Piper asking him to run away with her, and briefly considered it as he felt her tremble.

"The last night I will spend within these walls." he added. Piper stood silently by his side, his melancholy mood resonating onto her and making their happiness subside.

"The last night I wear the Captain's badge. I'm giving it away tomorrow." she whispered.

"The last night of our childhood." he added to the list of the things that were coming to an end, barely noticing the shining tear tracks on Piper's face until she sobbed and her hand clasped his tightly.

"The last night of hiding _us._" she whispered. He jumped, smiled and kissed her.

"The last night of hiding." he agreed, letting her slip away. He remained standing on the stairs until she had disappeared, her footsteps faded and her warmth had left him completely. With a rattling breath to calm himself, Severus descended the dungeon stairs into the darkness.

-[-]-

"The fun has arrived!" Piper cried, entering the Gryffindor Common Room easily as Remus had given her the password earlier. The room erupted in cheers and Lily was the first to grab Piper in a bone-crushing hug.

"Thank you." the redhead whispered, nodding in the direction of Sirius and Emma- who were sucking face in a corner. Piper nearly gagged, but shrugged and grinned at Lily happily, accepting a cracker from Remus.

"I found a house today." she admitted. Lily whooped and dragged Piper to stand on a table, handing her a small bottle of Firewhiskey. The Gryffindor smirked at Piper's raised eyebrow- Lily wasn't one for climbing furniture or drinking- and clapped her hands for attention.

"Piper's found a house!" Lily shouted, announcing the fact to the entire Common Room, which erupted in cheers. Piper had spend so much time with the Marauders that she was a familiar face to the Gryffindors. The friendly rivalry she held with James in Quidditch helped make her popular, too. She took a sip of the alcohol, and nearly downed the bottle as she grinned at everyone, swaying on her feet a little. She had already been out celebrating with Severus, and she wouldn't need much more alcohol to induce a major hangover.

"It's Christmas, baby!" Piper shrieked, throwing herself into the crowd. They caught and lowered her to the ground as someone started the music, and the Gryffindor Tower- and Piper- partied the night away.


	12. Next Time, It's For Real

_12_

_Next Time, it's For Real_

_The Seventh Years realise just how close Graduation is, and how much Hogwarts means to them._

The dawn arrived much too soon for Piper, who had had much more fun than she'd planned at the Gryffindor Christmas Party. That particular rave had a reputation for being slightly wild, and the Ravenclaw had thrown herself into it. After catching barely an hour's sleep, she stole into a nearby washroom to remove the stupid crude drawings from her face, while making a mental note to get Sirius back.

"Piper?" someone called. It was a female voice, scratchy from lack of sleep and too much booze, but Piper recognised Lily when she heard her.

"In the bathroom, Lils." she replied. Lily entered, her hair a mess, her makeup smudged and multiple bright red marks on her neck. With a raised eyebrow, Piper turned away from the mirror to eye her redheaded friend questioningly, excitedly.

"What?" Lily snapped finally, her nerves grated. Piper just shrugged and peeked through the door, seeing James Potter staring after Lily with a star-struck look on his face, and the pieces fell into place.

"Oh. My. God." she whispered reverently, turning to Lily in mild horror. The redhead blushed as deeply as her hair and shrugged.

"Oh come on, Pip. Don't be immature- "

"This coming from the woman who has hated James Potter from the moment she met him, for no good reason." Piper countered. Lily just shrugged and looked slightly guilty.

"He insulted my best friend and nicknamed me Ginger within five minutes. Of course I hated him- he's an arrogant, stuck-up, scruffy-haired-"

"Sex demon?" Piper interrupted, cackling at Lily's horrified face.

"Don't even go there. I am not discussing this with you. And he's more of a _God, _anyhow." Lily retorted, firmly closing her mouth as Piper locked the door and cast a silencing charm, moving things about aimlessly, just to make noise to irritate Lily's headache. As evil as she knew it was, Piper wanted answers and she would torture Lily Evans until she got them.

"Alright, alright! I'll tell you- just stop making bloody noise!" finally, Lily cracked and slammed her hairbrush onto the marble sink with a deafening crack that made both girls wince.

"Take your own advice." Piper muttered, grinning as Lily glared.

"What do you want to know? Don't get all… detail-demanding on me, though."

"Well…" Piper began, thinking of a suitable query. The second part of Lily's statement had completely thrown out all of her planned questions.

"When did you two sneak off? I didn't notice you leave." she said. Lily looked relieved and even smiled as the events of the night before rushed back to her.

"Just after midnight. James slipped a note into my hand, and I met him in his dorm."

"Aww, romantic. How was it?"

"Piper!"

"Sorry, sorry. Why are you here, then?" she asked. Lily blushed again and shrugged, fumbling in her pockets to finally draw out a tiny red-gold band with the word _promise _engraved on it. Piper gushed over it and forced Lily to put it on. The redhead just sighed and agreed, taking it off almost immediately.

"This is why I'm here and not with him. He is taking this all too seriously… as though it's forever." she said. Piper sighed and stopped herself from slapping a hand to her forehead.

"You love him, right, Lily?"

"I think… yeah. Yes, I mean. I love James Potter."

"Then stop thinking about tomorrow- it'll come when it's ready. Live for today."

-[-]-

It was noon before anyone quite recognised what was going on. The Seventh Years- most of whom had been partying- groggily made their way to the train to either board or farewell friends. Piper had slipped away and found Severus, the two walking to the train together. Lily, James and Sirius were all staying at school for that night- James' parents were taking them all to Paris the next day-, while Ally and Remus were off to stay with his parents and Peter was going home to look after his grandmother.

"Are the Gryffindors as wild as the Ravenclaws?" Severus teased upon seeing Piper's slightly bloodshot eyes. She made a point of smiling brightly and yawning, shaking her head sheepishly.

"No way. They just get drunk- Ravenclaws get _wasted._" she replied, just as teasingly. Severus raised an eyebrow as they made their way to the station through the fresh snow.

"And regret it in the morning." he added. Piper managed a slight blush before yawning again and nodding.

"Oh yeah, regret it big time. I'm alright; just didn't sleep, you see."

"It's a long train ride." Severus reminded her, and Piper nodded with a small smile.

"Yeah. Oh! I almost forgot- I got the exemption! Just for these holidays though, and Woodhouse said he'll check up on me regularly, and help me get _Armonia _connected to the Floo. Isn't that fantastic? I'll be independent soon enough!" Piper said brightly. Severus just hid a smile and nodded along with her excited chatter, wondering how she was still functioning after no sleep and evidently _some _alcohol.

"Wonderful." he murmured as she skipped ahead, throwing snow into the air and letting it fall onto her frame again. He shook his head at her childishness, to which she just pouted and poked out her tongue. At that, he smirked and leaned in close to her ear;

"Don't show it unless you intend to use it." he whispered. She shuddered and looked at him through lowered lashes, discreetly letting her thigh brush against his groin.

"Right here, right now?" she asked. He looked ahead and saw Mulciber and Avery, shaking his head at her. Her face fell but he couldn't allow them to find out about he and Piper- he had sworn to protect her from the Dark Lord. Which meant keeping their relationship secret- showing only civil comments to the public.

"They're watching." he murmured, and Piper put on a smile as they brushed snow off themselves and Severus left Piper to find them both a warm, secluded compartment.

"Lily, James." Piper smiled, joining her Gryffindor friends to say goodbye. Lily was crying and James looked stoically calm.

"Is everything alright?" Piper asked. This was not the reaction she was expecting, and it was James who replied with a forced smile.

"This is the first time any of us have been separated." he said, indicating Remus and Ally who had already boarded the train. Sirius was nowhere to be found.

"It's not for long." Piper reminded her weeping friend, who turned into James for comfort.

"But next time, it's for real." Lily wailed. Piper winced and nodded, wondering how she'd survive leaving Hogwarts without Severus; how she'd survive leaving Hogwarts full stop. It was the first place she and her magic really fit in, the first place she had been truly loved. The first place she had a _family_.

"And for some, _this _is the last." James added. Piper nodded and squeezed his hand, awkwardly hugging Lily with one arm before she turned to look in vain for Sirius.

"He decided against coming down. He's up at the castle with Emma." James read her mind and looked apologetic when Piper's face fell.

"Tell him I said goodbye, would you?" she beseeched. James nodded and pointed to the train.

"You'd better go. Happy Christmas, Piper."

"You too, James, Lily. You too." with that, Piper turned her back on Hogwarts and her friends to spend Christmas in Harmony with Severus.

-[-]-

Sirius watched the train billow smoke down at the station, carrying Remus and Ally and Piper away from him. He was grateful that James and Lily were staying for that night, although he doubted he'd see much of the new couple at all. He didn't even see Emma as he stalked through the Halls, moving faster and faster until he was running to the gates, hoping beyond hope that he'd reach the train in time. He had to say goodbye- he needed to. Who knew if Piper was coming back? He hadn't thought to ask her. Where did she live? He hadn't asked that, either. Would she miss him like he would miss her? He didn't want to know the answer to that, but he ran anyway.

"Sirius! Mate, there-" James' words were snatched by the wind as he burst onto the platform, just in time to see the last carriage of the train disappear. He cursed himself then, kicking at the ground in a fit of sudden rage. He had missed her- she was gone. _Gone, _the word echoed in his mind ominously, and he was barely able to force a smile as he turned to Lily and James.

"Guess I missed her, then?" he asked. They both shared a look but said nothing, they knew who he was talking about. Sirius had never spoken so often of a girl, even before they were a thing. Whenever he said '_her_' in that reverent tone, everyone knew he was speaking of Piper.

"She looked for you before she left. She said to tell you goodbye." James told him softly. Sirius swore under his breath.

"Goodbye? Like, forever goodbye or 'see you soon' goodbye?" he asked. James looked at Lily once before they shrugged.

"We didn't ask and she didn't say." Sirius clenched his jaw and stalked back to the castle, again brushing by Emma- annoying clingy girl- and storming into his dorm, snapping the curtains shut and freezing them in place. He wanted to be alone- he needed it.

_Needed her._


	13. Moving In

_13_

_Moving In_

_Piper collects everything she needs for her new home- including old family members._

Piper woke, groggy and still tired, as the Hogwarts Express pulled into Platform 9¾. With a small, sad sigh, she realised that she'd slept through Severus's last train ride- their last train ride together. She turned to him with an apologetic smile, but he just shook his head and smiled softly.

"Wasn't very good company was I?" she asked as they made their way onto the platform and through the barrier quickly, both eager to get away from the crowds and to Piper's cottage.

"It is no matter. I needed the time to think." Severus replied easily, both drawing their robes tighter around their bodies as they stepped into the Muggle street and into what appeared to be a blizzard. Piper didn't bother to ask him what he was thinking about; he wouldn't tell her the truth anyway. They walked together along the snowy streets, their fingers slowly turning blue even through the gloves.

"Why does Hogwarts always have better weather?" Piper muttered, the two gladly escaping the cold into the Leaky Cauldron. They would spend that night at the pub, and go shopping the next day before heading to Piper's cottage with their purchases.

"Dumbledore charms the storms away." Severus replied, stomping the snow from his shoes as Piper huddled in the tiny doorway.

"I wish he didn't. The storms can stay, I like the storms. It's the cold that gets me." she pouted. Severus almost laughed at her childish statement, but knew better. Something in her eyes, in her posture, wasn't quite right.

"I think you need to sleep. Again." he remarked casually, and Piper shook her head even as she yawned widely. At his raised eyebrow, she just shrugged and smiled sheepishly, leading him through the crowd to the stairs, where Tom- the new owner- met them with keys to their room.

"Have a good night, kids." he smiled, wandering off to serve another patron. With almost a wicked smile, Piper took Severus' hand and pulled him up the stairs, pausing at the top to smile again. Severus finally understood where she was headed, and spun her into his arms, kissing her heatedly.

"Shall we-"

"'Dance'? I think so."

-[-]-

Morning woke both Piper Sedona and Severus Snape, who had once again fallen asleep in a hopelessly complicated embrace. When he glanced at a nearby clock and groaned, she somehow managed to slip away and gasp.

"It's eleven." she stated, her mouth hanging open with shock. Severus shrugged and opened his arms, wanting her to come back into his hold, but Piper shook her head at him.

"We have two stops to make before we get to lie about all day. Come on, Severus… up!" Piper teased, flicking the sheets from his body. With another groan, he rose reluctantly and pulled his robes on, both turning and grinning- fully dressed- as they linked hands and climbed down the stairs slowly, each lost in their thoughts of the past, the present and the future.

"Would you do the honours, Milady?" Severus asked quietly as they stepped into the small alcove leading into the Alley. Piper smiled and pulled her wand from it's place at her hip, feeling a thrill run through her spine at the first magic she'd do outside Hogwarts, although opening the Alley wasn't exactly advanced magic. It wasn't even a real spell she had to cast, but it felt exciting anyway.

"Why are you shaking, Piper?" at the sound of Severus' voice, Piper jumped and stopped the ridiculous trembling as she stepped into the bustling market place. She smiled sheepishly and tucked her wand away- the temptation to use magic was overwhelming, now that she knew she could.

"I used magic outside Hogwarts." she said, grinning. Severus shook his head as they wove through the crowds, sometimes directly beside one another, sometimes metres apart- always together but never touching. They navigated their way wordlessly, making an indirect beeline to an All-Purpose store that held 'everything for starting a new home'. Piper didn't let herself think of the rest of the tagline- 'and family'_._

"Magic requires a conscious effort to alter, change, move or transfigure an object." Severus whispered gently, while Piper just grinned.

"All that and even in alphabetical order, too. I'm impressed, Severus." Piper retorted. He just snorted as they walked among the furniture, trying to find something that wasn't overly expensive or fancy. With what she had in store for anything that caught her eye, old and slightly shabby would have to do.

"Are you just?" he murmured, following Piper at a safe distance. Neither of them had much money, but Piper had managed to salvage a little from the trust fund her parents had set up and convert it into wizarding currency after buying her cottage. She had just enough left to buy anything extra to adorn the house with- a couch was what she was most interested in, along with another bookcase if she could afford it.

"Oh, this will go wonderful with the décor…" Piper breathed, spying a slightly dingy black couch with torn fabric and only one thin cushion. Disregarding the current state of it (she could transfigure it anyway, couldn't she?), Piper turned to Severus with a small, pleading smile on her face as though she was asking his permission. He barely contained the laugh and sniff of disgust, but he knew his impulsive… girlfriend? No, that didn't sound right… lover? Yes, better… his impulsive lover would buy the couch regardless of his protests.

"Lovely, Pip." he nearly sneered the words but checked himself in time. He needed have bothered though; he'd 'slipped' so many times before Piper that she knew his view on the world- she knew that he had often referred to her as _Mudblood, _and although it hurt, she knew he didn't exactly mean it as an insult. Not anymore, at least.

"I know it looks horrible, but it has _character, _Severus!" she informed him, her eyes searching the room for a shop attendant.

"I look horrible, so I must have _character_?" he mocked her lightly, causing her to glare at him coolly.

"You don't look that bad. And yes, you have a lovely character once one gets past the snarky git you project."

"You flatter me, Piper."

"That wasn't a compliment."

"In that case, I resent that."

"Go ahead. Because I don't." with that, she turned her back on him and stalked through the aisles. They weren't mad, this was a game. He would insult himself, and she would fight with him over it. He loved hearing her defend him, as pathetic as that sounded. It reminded him that he was needed, wanted- for just this moment at least.

-[-]-

It was dark when they finally made it back to Piper's house. At her magical command, all their purchases had appeared in the living room, where she left them for the time being. She had yet to make a run to her mother's house, and she wanted Severus to be with her when she did.

"We'll go in the morning." she said softly, standing on the front doorstep and warding the house from uninvited guests. An alarm would go off if anyone stepped foot- uninvited- within the boundaries of her home. Severus had already retreated inside and had manually started the fire with Piper's quickly-conjured wood. He was a little disgruntled by the fact that he could do little to help her, but accepted that she needed to do things her way.

"To fetch your things? Yes, I think so. It's a little late right now." he replied, leaning out a window casually to watch her. Piper shot him a small smile as she changed the colour of the brickwork from a faded brown to a crisp, pure white and replaced the varnish on the wooden door. From the outside, it looked brand new and perfect- story-book like even. Piper, pleased with her work, stepped into the warming hall and shut the door behind her. The house was bigger inside than out- thanks to her magic- and she knew she'd have a bit of a hard time filling all the space, but it was airy and roomy and just _pleasant. _Everything radiated calm and love, something she'd always dreamed of in a home since she spent a week at Lily's house.

"Agreed. So for now we're sleeping on the floor." she smirked at him as he shrugged and immediately claimed them a place by the fire. She joined him and leant into his arm, smiling as the flames leapt higher with every moment, and her eyes drifted shut to the rhythmic crackling and his breathing.

"Piper?"

"Hmm?" she snapped awake, feeling slightly guilty for having fallen asleep so quickly. Severus pressed a kiss to her forehead and leant his head back to stare at the ceiling that she'd already bewitched to look like the Great Hall at Hogwarts.

"Thank you for letting me stay with you."

"I wouldn't have it any other way, Severus."

The next time Piper opened her eyes, the room was alight with the sunrise and Severus had his arms firmly around her shoulders, holding her tight against the cold. The wooden floor was surprisingly comfortable, but Piper knew she'd much rather spend her nights in a bed.

"Severus?" she murmured, reluctant to move but eager to get her house properly sorted. She hoped to have her Gryffindors visit after graduation- she'd need something to keep her mind off Severus.

"Hmm? Food?" he mumbled, not fully awake but obviously hungry. Piper giggled raucously at the uncharacteristic announcement, detangling herself from his body and walking into the kitchen. She had remembered to buy a packet of cereal and some milk, and set up a cool cupboard the night before so they could have their breakfast before facing her mother that morning.

"Food!" Piper called loudly, setting about making breakfast and coffee. Severus joined her moments later and slid his arms around her waist, pressing his chest to her back and nibbling at the base of her neck. Piper leaned into his touch and hummed happily, sending chills down his spine.

"I love you." he said without thinking, regretting the words instantly. Piper had stiffened in his arms before slumping forward. He let her go without argument, mentally berating himself for saying it aloud when they both knew nothing would eventuate. He saw the fear in Piper's eyes, accompanied by the tears.

"I'm sorry." he whispered, lowering his eyes.

"Ha!" she barked out curtly, and he jerked up to stare at her. Through the watering eyes, she was laughing. Slowly, the emotion he'd mistaken as fear was revealed as joy.

"You love me!" she cried, taking his hands and dancing with him around the kitchen. Severus allowed himself to be swept away in the moment as Piper snuggled into his chest.

"I love you, too." she whispered. Severus laughed along with her, relieved and joyful and so incredulously _happy _that it almost hurt. The ecstatic feeling overwhelmed his thoughts until nothing was left but an irrational desire to hold Piper close, to keep her there and love her until the day he died.

That was one promise he would never break.

-[-]-

"Mother?" Piper called, pushing the door to her childhood home open. She still had a key, but was planning on leaving it behind after she whisked her furniture away to her house. Severus followed her in, his hand hovering just by her lower back, ready to support her if she needed it. He glanced at the clock as they walked cautiously into the receiving room, noticing with a small grin that they were at least an hour over time. Not that that was his fault… she had started it this time.

"Mother?!" Piper called louder, stepping into the living room and seeing, hearing, nothing but the ticking of the clock and the gloom of a house that hadn't been lived in for months.

"Tommy!" she shouted this time for her brother, who had always been a little sympathetic to his sister. He was the only one of her family who actually stood by her after her father's death. A muted thud and a short cry alerted them to the presence of somebody upstairs. Piper froze. The last time she had come home to an empty house, she found her father dead and a Dark Mark burnt into the wall by his head.

"Stay here." Severus murmured softly, already ghosting up the stairway to see what the noise was. Piper pressed herself into a wall, hoping no-one would discover her. No-one _evil _at least.

"YOU- OI!" the shout was coming from upstairs as a body was flung down them. Piper recognised the golden hair of Tommy, and nearly cried with relief.

"BLOODY WIZARD! GET OUT! YOU WILL NOT KILL-"

"Tommy!" Piper shrieked, giggling when he stumbled away from her in shock. It had been nearly a year since she'd seen him last, after all.

"Pippin!" he shouted, using one of the less-popular variations of her name. He opened his arms and she ran to him, holding the lanky twenty-year-old so tightly he nearly choked.

"Tommy… Tommy." she chanted his name as they rocked back and forth.

"So you're back then? I thought Mum…" Tommy trailed off pathetically, and Piper just shrugged as she let him go and peered up the stairs, trying to find any sign of Severus.

"She did, yeah. I phoned her a few days ago to let her know I'd be coming round to get my stuff." she said, still looking for Severus, who chose that moment to appear with a faint blush on his cheeks. As he descended the stairs, Tommy growled and pushed Piper behind him, holding up his fists.

"Don't take another step! Not one!" he threatened. Piper nearly laughed. Tommy must have been the one making noise, Severus would have startled him, and as a result Tommy would have rushed at Severus, who threw him down the stairs.

"Tommy, this is Severus. We… weren't sure of the situation, so Severus was ensuring the safety of the house." Piper whispered to her brother, making him calm down almost immediately. He still held himself in a slightly hostile manner, though.

"It is safe… a little unpredictable, but safe." Severus informed Piper formally, his eyes reminding her of Dumbledore's as she read the amusement there. Clearly, Tommy's impulsive nature was funny.

"Great. Where's Mother?" Piper asked as she trekked up the stairs after Severus. He led the way to Piper's old room as if he'd been there a million times before; not that anyone knew that she was sneaking boys into her bedroom at the age of just eight.

"She went out of town this weekend. I've been house-sitting." Tommy replied, last in line. Piper could hear the tension in his voice; he wasn't comfortable around magic, but he was able to tolerate it more then the rest of the family. With a small grunt, Piper shrugged and took one last look at her old life. She had moving posters of the Chudley Cannons- Sirius- along with many moving pictures of all her friends, two bookcases full of both Muggle and Magical books, and a large trunk she had used in her first year that was now full of old school parchments and the like.

"You realise the Cannons haven't won for years, right?" Severus asked dryly, poking at the poster and making the miniature figures curse at him. Piper just laughed and waved.

"I know. But they're still the best team, behind the Harpies." she shrugged, staring at the four-poster bed she had insisted on buying after her first year. Once she was introduced to the Magical world, she had styled her life after her Hogwarts dorm.

"So you're not coming to Christmas, then?" Tommy asked, slightly hopefully. Piper shook her head sadly.

"I don't think Mother would like that."

"Then you should come." Tommy's eyes were wide and hopeful, but Piper just shrugged.

"I have plans. Or rather, we have plans." she replied, nudging Severus lightly. He stopped examining her books to grab her hand and twirl her under his arm, receiving a dirty look from Tommy, who was understandably disgruntled.

"Can I come to yours then?" he asked. Piper shrugged again, looking at Severus for confirmation.

"D'you think they'd mind?" she asked. Severus shrugged and raised an eyebrow as he pulled out a picture of Billy Ray Cyrus.

"Ask Woodhouse. When is he checking in?"

"Tomorrow. I'll owl- err, call- you, Tommy." she said, turning her back on her brother and lover to continue sorting through the junk in her room.

"I'll take everything, eh? I can sort it out at home." she finally decided, flicking her wand casually as the room and all it's décor disappeared.

"You're not redecorating?" Severus asked as they made their way downstairs. Tommy still looked a little shell-shocked by the demonstration of magic, but saw nothing in it.

"Later. Tommy, you wanna come round sometime? I'll give you the address and phone when I get it hooked up." Piper called, bidding her brother goodbye briefly. He caught her arm and smiled, hugging his little sister tightly before letting go.

"I'd love to. I'll be there for Christmas, if you want."

"Sure. See you, brother."

"Goodbye, Sister."


	14. Dancing In The Rain

_14_

_Dancing in the Rain_

_Severus has taken Piper out for coffee, when they run into some unexpected acquaintances._

If anyone had looked closely at the couple sitting outside Big Ben's Coffee, they'd see the long, dark cloaks they wore were actually robes. They'd also see the way the air seemed to quite literally sizzle between them. Under the music the shop was playing, no-one could hear their conversation.

"It's finally happened." the woman said, her blonde hair spilling over her dark clothing, making it stand out more. The man just smiled and nodded, sipping at his coffee before he replied.

"We're both… free." he stumbled over that word, but his companion just smiled.

"Almost, Severus. I have yet to graduate." Piper informed him. He shrugged mildly, looking up to the darkened sky in shock as the first of the rain started to fall. They instinctively shifted away from it, although they needn't have bothered. The music was drowned out in a sudden flash of lightening and clap of thunder, making Piper jump and grin.

"Love a good storm." she whispered reverently, watching the clouds swirl. Severus found himself unable to take his eyes off her face; she was almost glowing in the soft light from the streetlamps and the bluish light from what little moonlight stole through the clouds. In short, she was radiant.

"You would." he whispered, teasing her. It was just habit, he meant nothing by it. Piper's eyes flashed as she looked back at him then down to her coffee, taking another sip.

"I used to dance in the rain. In my first year, I got locked on the Astronomy Tower. I'd snuck up there to dance- during that big storm, remember? Yeah- anyway, I was dancing… and when the rain slowed, I tried to go back downstairs but it was locked. I spent six hours screaming and crying until I realised I had my wand in my pocket." she giggled softly at the memory and he couldn't help but join her. That sounded so like her; forgetful.

"I bet Black gave you hell." he remarked. She shook her head and smiled triumphantly.

"Oh no- I told him I was off in detention with Filch for setting of a dung bomb in his rooms."

"That _was _you, though. I heard you cackling about it."

"Exactly. Sirius wasn't going to ask Filch… we never liked him much."

"Agreed." their conversation stilled as Piper smiled, lost in her thoughts as she idly hummed to the music. As it slowed and another song began, the same one they'd danced to at the Ball, Piper stood and took his hand.

"I love this song… dance with me?" she asked. Severus hesitated- people were watching, what if he tripped…

"That wasn't a request." she added a little more firmly, and he bit back a smile as he joined her in the rain, taking her hand in his as he started a slow waltz. They lost themselves in the music, barely aware that they were drifting further and further away, until there wasn't anymore music and they were dancing in time with the rain and the lightening and the thunder. And there, on the darkened streets of Muggle London, Severus Snape and Piper Sedona danced in the rain for one final time.

"Severus?" that was the voice Piper would come to hate as his hands tightened on her forearms and their dancing stopped.

"Avery." Severus greeted, his tone amiable but his whole body shaking with rage. Slowly, carefully, he manoeuvred himself so Piper was hidden behind him as he whispered one word to her.

"Run." that was all it took. She didn't look behind her and she didn't stop as she left Severus and bolted for the nearest turn, so she could Apparate without them seeing. That way, she knew, Severus could make up some lie about her identity and they would have nothing to track her on.

"Hey, sweetheart, where are you going?" Mulciber's foul breath washed over her face as she slammed headlong into his body. He was drunk, and she was grateful as she easily evaded him and pushed him into the gutter. He swore loudly, but by the time he regained his feet, Piper had reached the end of the road and dodged around a corner, Apparating as quickly as she could, first to the gates of Hogwarts and secondly to her home, where she put up all the defensive spells she could remember before crouching in front of the unlit fire, shaking and praying that Severus would return soon.

-[-]-

He stumbled through the woods blindly, his arm burning and his body soaked in blood. His eyes were wide open in fear, and his stomach still turned at the thought of the horrors he'd just been involved with. The screams… he stopped to shudder and kneel, pressing his face to the dirt, breathing the earth in for a full minute before he regained enough strength to move onwards. He saw his beloved's face floating before his eyes, and it was that illusion that kept him going. He prayed she had made it home, he prayed she was alright. If Mulciber and Avery had caught Piper… Severus knew that he would, quite frankly, kill them both. If she was hurt… if she were _dead_, he thought he should be too.

"Piper!" his cry echoed over the field leading to her small house. He couldn't take another step- her wards were in place. The house was dark, though, and he couldn't tell if she were there or not. He hoped she was.

"Piper! Please!" he shouted again, louder this time. He felt as though he would pass out. His first revel… he'd read about them in the paper, of course, but to actually be involved in one was a different story. He needed her… she would understand. His Piper always understood no matter what he rambled on about.

"PIPER!" finally, there was some sign of life from her house as a dark form flew to his side. She stayed within the wards though, and eyed him warily. Apparently, tonight was enough to ruin her blind faith in him.

"Who are you?" she snapped coldly, her wand pointed at his chest. He was painfully reminded of the Dark Lord engaged in the very same act when he'd refused to kill a child. The man he called Master had set his nerves alight with pain until he complied. The sight of that little body jerking… he couldn't bare to look at Piper. She was too good for him, much too good… he was even more disgusted with himself as the tears rolled down his cheeks.

"It's me… Severus…" he pleaded, pressing against her wards in an effort to get in. She wavered for a moment, but stood firm. If he had been in a clearer state of mind, he would have applauded her.

"Prove it." she snarled, and when he just stared at her blankly, she sent a hex soaring within a hairs' breadth of his face. The heat of it singed him and he flinched away, falling to his knees, ready to beg her for entry, for sanctuary. Again he saw her waver, and the tears that sprang to her eyes. It was killing her to shut him out like this… he couldn't let it go on.

"I threw your brother down the stairs." he whispered, ashamed of that too. How much evil had he done? He wasn't evil, was he? The memory of the child flew into his mind and he shuddered; yes. He was evil. He was so unbelievably evil- how had he even considered returning to Piper after what he'd done?

"I'm so sorry." he informed her, slowly standing up to look her in the eye as he repeated himself.

"I'm sorry." he turned on his heel and was about to re-enter the trees, to join Bellatrix and Mulciber and Avery in celebrating the killing of the Muggles… when her hand caught his robes and pulled him within the sanctity of her wards. As he passed through them, he felt his delirium washed away and be replaced by calm. She had been right- this place _was _magic, even without her enhancements.

"Severus, come inside. What happened to… blood?… Oh my God…" the disgusted tone nearly made him cry again, but he had regained enough of his dignity to withhold tears. He was a Death Eater, for Gods' sake! He wasn't supposed to go home and _cry _over the lives he'd severed!

"I killed a man today. I killed… so many." he whispered, disgusted by his whole situation. He realised now, when it was too late, that Piper had been right. He wasn't truly one of them. He chuckled at that notion, drawing a concerned glance from Piper who helped him to sit on her couch. She disappeared and returned within seconds with a box of bandages, a Pepper-Up Potion and a clean, cool cloth. His breathing was still erratic, but he slowly calmed down as she washed the blood from his hands.

"It was horrible, Piper." he said suddenly. He'd seen the question in her eyes, the one she had been too afraid to ask. He didn't blame her. It made _him _cry, so why should she want to know?

"So much death… destruction… and through it all, through all the screams and the pain and the anguish, _he _was there and _he _got off on it. I saw him with my own eyes… he laughed as he tore a baby from his mother's arms… he killed the baby first, then the mother. Mulciber was no better. He and Avery… they both tended to most of the women. Some weren't even alive when… I suppose that was a mercy. Small one at least. I tried not to hurt anyone… I really did. I couldn't use magic… he made me use my hands. He handed me a little boy… the poor child… Piper, I hate myself. I really loathe myself for what I did… for what I didn't do. If I had uttered just one spell… the Ministry would have been all over me… they could have stopped it. But I didn't. I just watched…" she stayed silent through his explanation, but he saw her eyes widen and felt the tears as they fell on his face. He couldn't bare to look at her. He knew he'd see pity and fear, maybe even disgust. He didn't want her to pity him. He wanted her to fear him, to throw him out like he felt he deserved.

"Why do you have to care about me? If I didn't have you… I'd die, you know. I would truly die. I couldn't live with myself after tonight… but you, you make me strong. I know that… even if I live a hundred years… I will never to anything as worthwhile as protecting you. Loving you." again, she said nothing but her tears were redoubled. Severus raised a shaking hand to wipe them away, noticing with a grimace that his hand was now clean. How ironic, he thought bitterly. The one thing in his life that made any sense, that made him actually feel worth something, was the one thing he could never have.

"After tonight… Piper… I think I should stay away from you." he whispered. Her hand tightened on his and her eyes closed, her head lowering so she could bury her head in his shoulder.

"Do what you think is right, Severus. Remember that I love you and you'll always have a home with me. Always."

"I'm leaving in the morning, Piper." his mind was made up. He was a disease, a danger to her. And he was not going to let his evil infect her- she deserved so much better than anything he could ever hope to give.

"Graduation… will you still…?" she trailed off, avoiding his eyes. He knew why. She felt selfish for asking, and he felt selfish for the reply that instantly sprang to his mind.

"Yes. But Piper… promise me you won't cry. When the time comes… promise you'll let me go…" he whispered. He truly hated to see her cry, almost as much as he hated himself for making her. She'd cried a million tears for him, and he couldn't bare to shed one for her.

"I love you." she whispered simply, and he believed her.


	15. Final Farewell

_15_

_Final Farewell._

_Severus comes to see Piper one last time before they go their separate ways._

It had been a full month since he left her standing at the doorstep of the house he'd almost considered home. After that first, awful revel, he hadn't been able to bare the silent grief in her eyes as, with each kill he made, a little piece of him died inside. A full month that he'd spent in a daze, wishing he had changed his mind, wishing he could have gone back to her. Now, here he was; standing in the trees at Hogwarts, watching Piper twirl around happily with her friends. He saw through the act, however, whenever she stood still and looked longingly to the gates as if he'd appear on cue. Lily was there, but Severus spared her only a glance. It still hurt to see her with Potter, touching him that way… he shook his head forcefully. He wasn't here to bemoan the life he let go; he was here to fulfil his promise to Piper. He had to admire her, though, before he joined her. She had pulled her blonde hair up again, like she had at the ball, and she was wearing a white dress that flowed around her knees, showing her legs. Severus felt his breath catch as she swung around to face him directly, as if she were staring straight at him. He shrank away from her gaze, not quite ready to face her yet.

"Hello, Pip." he whispered to her. When she smiled and gave a small bow, he chuckled. She hadn't seen him, but she knew he was here. Had he given some sign? How could she know? He watched her talking to the next Ravenclaw Quidditch Captain, handing out tips no doubt, and when she turned back to Sirius, Severus stepped into the sunlight. He walked slowly towards her favourite tree by the lake- a weeping willow, ironically- and waited. She would come soon enough… then she gave a happy cry and he shot his eyes up to find her examining Lily's hand, a tiny jewel sparkling on a ring. James Potter looked proud of himself. Severus growled and buried his hands in his pockets, absently feeling his left wrist burn.

"Congratulations, Lily!" he heard Piper shouting, and watched silently as she and Lily danced together, before parting ways as Lily returned to James' embrace. Piper stood with Sirius for just a moment, and Severus took his chance.

"Piper." he breathed, watching her intently. As if she felt his gaze, her eyes locked on his over Sirius's shoulder, and she gave a small smile. Stammering some excuse, she left her friends to approach him.

"Didn't think you'd come." she said, stopping a foot away from him. The tension swelled between them before Piper broke it, a single tear running down her cheek. The people nearby quickly gave them space as Severus froze. He hated to see her cry.

"Pip, please…" he trailed off as she wiped away the moisture angrily and smiled at him.

"I promised, didn't I?" she said rhetorically. He managed a small smile before Sirius interrupted the brief reunion.

"What are you doing here, Snivellus?" he snapped, an arm around Piper's shoulders. Severus stiffened at that; his second pet hate was watching the arrogant way Sirius Black held Piper, touched her whenever he wanted. The jealousy raged within him; it was all he could do to merely clench his fists and distract himself from forcibly removing Black's arm from her body. Severus _hated _Sirius holding Piper- that wasn't his prerogative! Holding Piper was supposed to be Severus' position! She noticed all this the instant their eyes met, and she pushed Sirius away from her just slightly.

"I asked him to see me, Sirius. Please be civil."

"You _asked him_? Piper, why? You know what he did to Lily! What he did to you!" Sirius cried, outraged. Piper sighed and glared, her hands on her hips.

"Honestly, Sirius! One word! You've called Lily worse yourself, and you go an' make out that you're completely innocent?" she asked hotly, ignoring the second half of Sirius' accusation. Piper would not acknowledge exactly how deeply she'd been affected by his leaving.

"I've never called her that to her face!"

"You've never been strung up by your bloody ankles either!" Piper was furious, that was obvious. Sirius matched her anger, grey eyes flashing against sea-green. Severus knew the intensity of her glare, and didn't envy Sirius for it.

"He deserved it!"

"I shouldn't have come." Severus whispered, clenching his fists as he walked away, out of Hogwarts for the last time. He didn't stop when Piper called him, he wasn't going to wait to listen to her apologies. He'd had enough. He'd kept his side of the bargain; he'd come back to see her on her graduation day, even though he had left a month earlier and his heart had only just begun to heal.

"Severus!" he wished she wouldn't sound so desperate, because then he might have had the strength to resist. As it was, he slowed his pace so she could catch up to him, gripping his shoulder and yanking him around to face her.

"Don't… not without goodbye." she said softly, still holding him. He would either have to push by her or lie, and he knew which he'd rather do.

"We both know that I shouldn't be here. That it's wrong. Piper, it's killing me, it's killing you, both of us trying to be strong." he started, quoting one of her favourite songs. He remembered the day he'd taken her out for coffee. It had been late in the evening, and raining, when that song had come on the radio. She'd smiled at him in the way he couldn't refuse and pulled him out of his seat, into the pouring rain, forcing him to dance with her. Privately, he admitted that she didn't force him to do anything. He couldn't resist, after seeing the light in her eyes. He had begun to hate that night… it was only an hour after holding Piper that he had killed for the first time. His first revel… the last time he'd seen her before this.

"Please don't tell me there's someone else." she whispered. He cast a look over his shoulder, seeing a murderous Sirius Black glaring daggers, pitchforks, killing curses all at once in his direction.

"Not for me." he murmured, hating her cringe. He knew she didn't see Sirius in the way she used to… he knew that all her passion was directed at him, and him alone, but he still had to say it.

"Take me with you." she whispered. He scoffed lightly and drew up his left sleeve, showing her the Mark branded into his skin. Her tears fell on it and it burned again, more than it had ever before.

"Take you where, Piper? To your death? Hardly."

"I'm a good witch, Severus-"

"I know. I'm not doubting you. But I would rather die than see you anywhere near them. They're evil, Pip." the shortening of her name made her jump and glare at him.

"What makes you think I don't know that?" she snapped. He sighed and reached for her, but she backed away.

"I hate myself for doing this to you." she whispered. He stared at her. He'd expected anger, rage; he'd expected her to hex him, to curse him, but not this. Not the look of utter loathing he saw in her eyes; the passionate loathing directed at herself.

"Why? Why would you think for a second you did this-"

"If I was stronger, I'd have left Sirius completely when we… you know. You and I both know he's had eyes for every other girl in this place. If I was stronger, braver, I'd have left him and come to you. Then maybe…" she confessed. Severus shook his head.

"Even if you had, I'd have pushed you away. He's better for you than me; I'm a disease-"

"Don't you dare." she interrupted angrily, glaring at him.

"Don't interrupt me, Piper. You are better off with Sirius, he can protect you better than I can. Don't look at me like that. If the Dark Lord knew of my connection to you, if he ever somehow found out how much I love you-" he shut his mouth sharply at the stark admission, seeing Piper's eyes widen as she stared at him.

"You… still?"

"Forget it. It was stupid. Go back to Sirius, tell him you saw the greasy git off, tell him you've seen the error of your ways and that it's _him _you really love. Forget me. Live your life. If I ever…" he trailed off, not quite sure how to finish that sentence. Piper lowered her eyes and trembled before him. Unable to bear the tension, he stepped around her and walked away as quickly as was dignified for him. His heart broke when he heard the broken admission she softly called after him;

"I love you."

Nobody saw the tears running freely down the cheeks of Severus Snape that day. Nobody heard the thunderous crack as his heart broke in two.


	16. Planning A Wedding

_16_

_Planning a Wedding_

_Piper helps Lily and James with their preparations and grows closer to them for her efforts._

Her eyes were open and she was staring at a photograph by the side of her bed. It depicted her infant self in the act of throwing things at an equally infant Severus- she had had no idea that Eileen Snape had taken it with her wizarding camera, but Piper was glad she had. This was one of the only pictures she had allowed herself to keep in plain sight, since in it, both of them were carefree and innocent and just themselves. A wave of nostalgia hit her, and she couldn't bring herself to crawl out of bed to alleviate it.

"Good morning, Severus." she whispered, feeling her tears rising again. The promise she made him oh so many weeks ago rushed back to her and she swallowed thickly, putting the picture face-down so she could perhaps get some rest. It didn't work; her longing for him was just as strong as it had been two weeks earlier at Graduation. When he had walked away from her… No. Piper would not reminisce. He had made his choice, and she hers. She would interview for that apprenticeship at Saint Mungo's after spending six months recuperating from her N.E.W.T.'s. With a heavy sigh, she threw back the stifling, thick beige duvet and swung her legs over the side of the bed, remembering too late the Firewhiskey she'd consumed the night before.

"Bloody vertigo." she muttered, ignoring the head rush as she stood slowly, stumbling in the gloom of her room to the closet and for clean clothes. Piper was ashamed to admit to anyone- least of all herself- that since Graduation, she had not been great as everyone thought. She was not coping. Her days were spent helping Lily plan the wedding- while dreaming of her own- and her nights were spent firstly reading, then remembering, then drinking to wash it away. She had become quite adept at hiding it, too. Lily was the only one to suspect a thing, but Piper was able to fend off the questions of 'are you alright?' and 'do you need anything?'. The latter made her laugh, but what could she say? _Yes, Lily, I need you all to bugger off and leave me alone so I can go join the Dark Lord to be with one of his Death Eaters, Severus Snape, the man you all hate? _Oh, that would go down well. Under all her mental musings, Piper had one constant mantra playing over and over. _Come back to me._

-[-]-

"Piper? Are you home?" the knock on her door startled her, making her drop her wand in shock. Taking one last look at her bed, Piper shut her door and summoned herself a steaming cup of Pepper-Up. That she drained quickly, ignoring the burning of her mouth at the temperature of it as she choked and descended the narrow stairs.

"Piper? Hello!" her guest shouted again. Piper sighed.

"I'm coming, alright?" she called. Now that she was closer, she could tell that the guest was female. Lily, no doubt. It was _always _Lily, checking on Piper, making sure she was alright… Piper growled and slammed open the door with more force than she intended. A flash of red hair and a body brushing by informed Piper that her transgression was forgiven, if not totally ignored.

"I have found the _perfect _dress! I need your advice- Petunia still isn't talking to me- and I'm not asking one of the boys, Sirius especially. He's so moody lately, since Emma left him. Still don't know why…" Piper felt the blood rush to her cheeks and she tuned out of Lily's chatter, heading into the kitchen to make them both cups of tea.

"Here it is!" Lily bounced into the room after Piper, a life-size picture of a beautiful wedding gown held in her hands. Piper smiled at her friend happily.

"It's gorgeous, Lily." she agreed. Lily pulled a face, studying the gown warily. Piper sighed. It would be a long day… Lily's upcoming marriage had made the normally straight-laced woman cut loose a little. In short, their roles had been reversed. No longer was Lily the girl who watched out for more promiscuous Piper's back; Piper felt as though she were a mother with a child who 'simply had to have' the newest, shiniest toy.

"You think so? I mean, it looks good on the model, but what about me? She's a blonde, and I'm a redhead… I have to be careful, Piper!" Lily's tone was panicked, and Piper just snickered to herself. Again, she was all but ignored.

"If you turned up in your old sweatpants and a hulking sweater, Lily, James would still piss himself with excitement. You finally said yes." Piper teased, her voice barely above a whisper. She hadn't felt the need to raise her voice anymore. Nothing mattered… she was, quite frankly, a ghost wearing a mask.

"Hmm? What was that? No… these pants are new…" Lily murmured, distracted with her mad muttering about changing the dress. Piper just raised an eyebrow and shook her head.

"You're mental, Lily. Eighteen months ago you tried to set his bed on fire just so you could call him 'Crispy' every time he called you 'Lily'. Now you're marrying him." Piper said softly, waiting for some reaction from her best friend. She was disappointed- not even a distracted 'whatever'. They fell into a comfortable silence, Piper watching Lily as she flicked through the bridal magazine- a Muggle one at that- and muttered glamour charms under her breath. It would have been comical if not for the soft glow on Lily's skin… the small smile that played on her lips… the way her eyes lit up whenever she saw a picture of a black-haired male, but fell when she realised they all had perfectly groomed hair.

"You're really serious about him, aren't you?" Piper whispered, more to herself. Lily's eyes finally shot up and she adopted another small smile.

"Yes I am. I realise now… that when he gave me the promise ring… it wasn't James that scared me. It was the idea of forever- of never being or wanting anyone else. I didn't think that anyone could love that much and come out unscathed… but I guess it's time for me to take a chance, yeah?"

"On James? Lily, it's not much of a chance. He'd lay down his life for you. I've never, ever, seen any emotion that strong." Piper's words made Lily smile, and that glow swelled with joy.

"As I would for him." she whispered. Piper didn't reply- her eyes were gazing through the glass and wishing she would see a dark-haired Slytherin… for just an instant. In her heart, though, she knew that even if she did see him again, it wouldn't be enough. It would _never _be enough to just look.

"So, the white dress or a green one?" Lily asked brightly, their melancholy moment passing swiftly. Piper forced her dark thoughts away as she joined Lily in studying the gowns.

"You're getting married, Lils. White." Piper said, pointing. Lily shrugged.

"So? I'm breaking all my rules- marrying James Potter- so why shouldn't I break tradition as well?"

"Because, Lillian Marie Evans, I am your best friend and hence you _must _consider my opinion. White."

"Best friend privileges ought to be suspended. Besides, Piper, green brings out my eyes!"

"As does white. And green's a Slytherin colour- don't forget the finals. James is still sore over it." Piper reminded Lily, who winced. Gryffindor had missed out on winning the House Cup by seventy points, beaten by Slytherin. Ravenclaw had managed to finish third without Piper. Lily grimaced and finally nodded.

"White, then. Now, lingerie…"

"Lily Evans, that is totally unacceptable apparel for a wedding." the opportunity had screamed at Piper, and she had taken it. Lily shot her an exasperated look.

"Wedding _day_, perhaps. But come evening… James will love this…" Lily mused out loud, and Piper choked on her tea. _Did Lily Evans just make a dirty suggestion involving James Potter? Ha!_

"Good show, Lily. Didn't think you had it in you."

"Shut up, Piper."

-[-]-

Three hours and forty-five magazines later, Lily had made a scrapbook of her favourites from each and held it up triumphantly. Piper just stretched and grinned, eying her living room with one eye. The kitchen had soon become far too small for their activities, and they'd changed rooms. Now, though, the wooden floor was littered with cuttings and discarded magazines. Lily was still scrutinizing their final choices, however, prompting Piper to stand swiftly and pluck the scrapbook from her hands.

"Come now, Lily. Everything will be fine- what we have chosen is delightful. Why mess with perfection?" she asked. Lily pouted for just a moment before brightening as the clock chimed for one o'clock.

"I'd better be getting home." she said. Piper felt her heart sink. She didn't want to be alone. If she was alone, with nothing to do, then she would fall back into moping.

"Okay." she said simply, longing to join her friends. She hadn't seen Remus and Sirius and even James in so long… but Piper wasn't sure how welcome she was.

"You should come, Pip. Everyone's missed you… and I think Sirius has something planned for your birthday." Lily invited quickly. Piper froze, shaking her head before she knew what she was doing.

"No, tell him no. I don't want anything special… just something for the house, alright? No party, nothing. Just something quiet, Lily-"

"I think he planned to take you out to dinner." Lily interrupted smoothly. Piper bit her lip. She knew that, through it all, the Gryffindors still held on to the slight hope that one day, Piper would return to Sirius.

"Alone?" she asked. Lily shrugged, heading for the door. Piper didn't have the Floo connected in the actual house- people had to use the old servants' quarters. It was just another precaution Severus had insisted on.

"If you wish it so." she said. Piper growled under her breath, but her mind was made up.

"Let me grab my coat and I'll join you."

-[-]-

"Lily! You're home a little… Piper…" James' voice ended on a sad, hopeful note. Piper smiled sheepishly as Lily embraced James as close as she could. Anyone would think they'd been separated for years instead of hours.

"Hi, James." Piper continued smiling as James waved her in, his shock evident on his face and in his silence. Piper felt his eyes on her the entire way, and suddenly regretted her reclusive habits. Yes, she'd seen them once or twice since leaving Hogwarts, but never for long and she had never left them with anything permanent. It shocked even her to stand in the living room of James and Lily's house, where she had been once, and feel nervous. She knew she'd been right earlier; although she was welcome, she no longer belonged.

"What brings you here?" James asked, breaking through Piper's trance. She spun slowly on her heel and tried to smile convincingly.

"Can't a girl visit old chums?" she asked. His eyes narrowed at her.

"Not when said girl all but blew off so-called 'chums' for two weeks." he replied curtly. Piper winced.

"I'm so sorry."

"So am I." she wasn't expecting the stark admission, or the pain in James' eyes. She had no idea where Lily had run off to, but when she heard dishes in the sink clattering loudly, she thanked her best friend. James had, of course, once been her 'brother', and she needed the time to get to know him again.

"You guys should visit more often." she suggested quietly, nervously twisting a thread she found. James gave a bark of laughter.

"You're never home." he said. Piper hid another wince. She had been home… she just had ignored them. Blew them off. She hadn't wanted to see anyone… she'd wanted to _die, _quite honestly.

"I am now. I've been… with Tommy. He's off to Oxford and he wanted to say farewell… he wanted to repair our relationship." it wasn't a total lie, but it wasn't the truth either. Piper had seen her brother, but not often enough to serve as an excuse.

"Good for you." James' eyes held none of the enthusiasm he tried to convey. Piper just shrugged nonchalantly. The tension was stifling, awkward. She could think of nothing to say… what _could _she say that would make her treatment of them okay? There was no excuse. She'd been so caught up in Severus and the darkness surrounding him…

"I'm a terrible person, James." she admitted quietly. His lips twitched.

"Why do you say that?"

"Because I'm drawn to things that eventually and unavoidably hurt me, but at the same time those same things need me so much I'm not strong enough to leave them alone. I'm trying to be something I'm not- a martyr. I know I have nothing to prove, but I just feel so useless without a project… without a purpose."

"Is that the reason for Snape? Because he needed you… and you needed his need?" James voicing it so plainly made Piper feel worse. She could only stare at her feet and nod miserably.

"See? Horrible. And you putting it that way… you're making me question my feelings for him. Christ, James! What do I do?" she wailed, forgetting the tension for a moment to run a hand through her hair- James had rubbed off on her a little after all. He smirked at the unconscious action.

"Where is he now?" he asked. Piper avoided his calculating eyes and James just huffed in disapproval.

"A Muggleborn and a Death Eater. Recipe for pain on both sides." he muttered, clearly not intending for Piper to hear it. She didn't care. The pain induced by the words were deserved.

"You want the truth, Piper?"

"Yes. God, yes." she muttered miserably, falling onto his couch. James just smiled again, wondering when he'd become the sensitive one in the group. That position had always been Remus until Lily said yes… James had found his attitude changing… he'd become a better man.

"You won't like it." he warned her. It was only fair. Piper just shrugged and held her head in her hands.

"Can't be worse than reality." she said with humourless laughter. James didn't say anything for a long while, trying to word it just right. His two friends were miserable- Sirius and Piper. What better way to help them was to set them up again? It wasn't just James who had changed… Sirius himself was a lot more observant. Perhaps he could really make a go of it this time?

"I think… I think you should get out and about. I know it's only been two weeks, but you can't waste your time hiding in your room and dreaming of something that can never happen. It's a fools' errand, Piper. I'm not saying you need to move on immediately, but maybe if you saw more of us… it would help ease the pain. I know Sirius has missed you."

Suddenly she didn't like James' counsel anymore. But she couldn't ignore the truth to his words; lingering on memories of Severus were only hurting her. What could spending time with James and Lily and Remus and Sirius and Ally hurt? Nothing, that's what.

"You wanna come round for tea tomorrow? All of you?" Piper asked. James' eyes lit up and he nodded, handing her a dash of Floo powder. Without asking, she knew who he wanted her to see.

"Say hi to him." James called as she stepped into the fire and shouted Sirius' address.


	17. The Order Of The Phoenix

_17_

_The Order of the Phoenix._

_Dumbledore has a plan for the Marauders, Lily and Piper._

"PIPER SEDONA!" the man's voice echoed over the hills as four people flew on brooms, chasing each other while throwing a Quaffle. Piper was in the lead and had just snatched the ball from Sirius' hands, and he was furious. Since there was only two on each team- James and Sirius were one, while Piper and Ally made the other- everyone had to be two players at once. Beaters were excused, which only added to Sirius' bad mood.

"Come and catch me!" she taunted, flying in lazy loops before throwing the ball to Ally, who caught it and managed to throw it by Remus, who had bravely volunteered to be Keeper. He pouted, and Ally stopped playing to snog him. Piper rolled her eyes.

"Time! Who wants food?" she shouted. Instantly, all but the snogging couple raced after her as she led the way to the house. Lily was already there- she'd been Keeper for the girls, and was the first back to the house. She hadn't wanted to play the mini-Quidditch game, and neither had Remus, but James and Ally respectively had convinced them after a montage of promises to 'go easy'. Piper had done nothing of the sort, but she hadn't been totally unfair.

"I'm glad you're back, Pip." Sirius murmured as the group left their brooms lying on the grass. Piper shot him a small smile and gratefully accepted a cup of water from James.

"Great grab there, Pip. Can see why you were Captain last year." James didn't wait to see her reaction to the compliment as he turned to Lily to congratulate her on her 'marvellous Keeping skills'. Of course, all she had to do was hover until James threw the Quaffle to her. Piper had found it quite amusing, actually.

"Fancy Ally giving it up, though. I suppose she did need the extra time- those Specialist Defence lessons she was taking." Sirius had leaned in close, his voice was just above a whisper and his breath tickled her neck. Piper held down a shudder as she turned to him, taking care to step far enough away to be comfortable.

"What were they for again?" she asked, struggling to remember. She knew Ally had told her, but she couldn't remember when or where.

"Our Al's the newest candidate for Head Auror. She wants to teach at Hogwarts, too, one day." Sirius reminded her gently. Piper was surprised that he hadn't ribbed her for forgetting.

"She'd be great for the job. So what about you, Sirius? Any plans?" she asked, changing the subject. Sirius just shrugged.

"Jimmy and I want to become Aurors. We start training in three months."

"Now that's fantastic." Piper replied with a genuine grin. She saw herself reflected in the stormy grey of his eyes, and found herself once again lost in them. She hated him for still affecting her; she hated herself for allowing it.

"And you?" he asked quietly. She barely noticed that they were a little apart from the others, but even if she had taken more notice, she wouldn't have cared. It was easy, effortless, being with Sirius without the pressures of school and being a high-profile couple.

"I'm going to Saint Mungo's." she replied. His eyes lit up with a sudden grin.

"I hope I never see you professionally." the words were out of his mouth before he could adjust his facial expression, and was left with a fading grin at her frown.

"Me too." she whispered, shaking her head clear of that direction. Sirius was still watching her intently, and Piper was reminded of exactly why she avoided being alone with him. Looking about for something to distract him with, she could only see her broom and the grass rolling away from her. She shot him a grin, to which he shifted uneasily.

"Hey, Sirius, I'll race you to the other side!" Piper darted off over the ground, Sirius not far behind her. She scooped up her beloved broom and soared high in the sky, enjoying the rush as she slowly looped backwards and let herself fall for just a little while. The sensation of the sky falling away from her was incredible. Righting herself, she saw Sirius waving at her from the finish line. She waved and raced straight for him, intending on knocking him off his broom.

-[-]-

"Are you sure, Albus? So soon?" Minerva's voice was hushed, worried, but it did nothing to change the headmaster's stance.

"Voldemort is getting stronger as we speak, Minerva. We need all the help we can get." he replied, just as quietly. She flinched at the name and wished that he wouldn't use it. His tone, however, was firm and Minerva knew she had lost.

"They're all so young. Fresh out of school…" she trailed off, remembering with a certain fondness the students she had come to care for more than she should; Lily, with her passion for learning and sweet personality; Ally, incredibly smart, loyal, and such a good example; Piper, perhaps not such a great example, but a good student and a fiercely loyal friend; Peter Pettigrew, quiet achiever; Remus, smart, quiet, responsible; Sirius, loud and boisterous, yes, but he was always respectful and he cared deeply; and finally James. The boy who had made her first-year girls run screaming from the room in his first lesson by transfiguring her favourite teacup into a spider. For a first-year, he had been incredibly talented with transfiguration.

"I know, Minerva. But the longer we wait, the more they have to lose." Dumbledore's mind was made up. And Minerva could only hope that he was doing the right thing.

"I will expect the members to attend the meeting. It shall commence at six p.m. tonight, my office. See you there, Minerva." with the soft order and the fond farewell, he stepped into his fireplace and whispered for _Armonia. _Minerva watched him go and whispered a prayer to herself for the lives of them all.

-[-]-

Piper halted all the fun when a buzzing alarm went off inside her head. She deactivated it before it drove her mad and motioned for silence, watching the servants' quarter's door intently. Nobody could Floo into her home without a password- that password was only held by the people with her, Severus and Dumbledore. Her heart was in her mouth; had he come home? The door opened and Piper caught sight of silvery hair. Her heart sank.

"Hello, Professor! This is a surprise. What can we do for you?" she called. James and Sirius immediately called greetings, followed by the others who were a little slow in recovering from their shock. Dumbledore stepped into the sunshine and smiled at his surroundings. He clearly liked what he saw.

"Good morning to you all. I was hoping to find you together. See, I have a proposition for you…" the headmaster trailed off, his eyes locked on a bowl of yellow sweets Piper had developed a slight liking for. She smirked and picked them up, holding them out in offering to the Hogwarts' Headmaster.

"Lemon drop, Sir?" she offered, and he smiled in thanks- taking four. James, Sirius and Remus all snickered while the girls tried to hush them.

"So, Sir, what brings you here?" Ally asked. Dumbledore took it upon himself to lead the way inside, making Piper feel slightly disgruntled. She felt as though she were being invited into someone else's home, although everything inside was hers. Dumbledore entered the living room and immediately looked to Piper.

"Do you mind if I make some temporary adjustments, Miss Sedona?" he asked. Piper, still stunned by his unexpected arrival, nodded mutely. What was he going to do to her house? And he better not touch her couch… old and slightly smelly as it was, it was hers and she loved it. Dumbledore waved his wand and instead of losing anything, Piper gained six comfortable armchairs. Her couch was, however, shrunk in the process to make room.

"Have a seat." Piper said weakly, trying to joke. Only Sirius seemed completely unaware of the suddenly serious tension the professor seemed to have.

"Is something wrong, Sir?" Remus asked quietly. Piper hid a smile. He had been quieter than usual in her presence, since she'd told him of the plans she had for her cellar. After being his usual embarrassed, quietly grateful self, Remus had almost avoided her.

"Wrong? Oh no, my dear boy. Quite the opposite, actually." he paused to eat another lemon drop. Piper ground her teeth together and clenched her fists to keep from shouting at him. _Patience is knowledge… _she repeated the words in her head until she was calm and relaxed. She'd let the others do the talking, and she'd listen.

"Sir?" James prompted. Dumbledore seemed to snap out of some sort of trance, and he smiled at James brightly. The blue eyes regained the famous twinkle as he laced his fingers together.

"Since the beginning of the rise of Voldemort-" they all flinched, and he smiled ruefully- "I have been constructing a task force of my own to help the Ministry. I believe the Auror's department, while doing a excellent job, is limited by the rules and restrictions placed upon them, along with dwindling numbers. With the express ignorance from the Minister, I have created my own vigilante group- The Order of the Phoenix." every thought in the room turned to Fawkes, the phoenix who had been Dumbledore's constant companion throughout his life.

"What does that have to do with us, Sir?" Sirius asked. Piper frowned. If this Order of the Phoenix was involved with catching Death Eaters, then perhaps someone had caught Severus… perhaps he had been hurt? She stopped thinking as she heard Dumbledore's reply.

"As I said, I have been busy constructing this force. I am in the process of building a tight-knit group who will all stand together for the side of Light. And I want you- all of you- to be involved." he said, the words clearly meant as an inspirational piece. Only Sirius jumped at the chance. James and Lily immediately turned to each other, fearing suddenly for their lives. Remus had gripped Ally's hand so tightly that Piper feared he would break her.

"I'm so totally there!" Sirius shouted.

"But Sir… the wedding…" Lily protested weakly. Dumbledore smiled and nodded at her.

"Miss Evans, this is not a full-time job. You can still have a life outside the Order." he said. Piper was still frowning, but she suddenly had an idea. What if they apprehended Severus? This could be her way of seeing him again!

"I'm in." she said simply. Sirius took her hand and twirled her around the room. Piper had no objections as they grinned at each other. It felt good to be in a position to fight rather than watch from the sidelines.

"I am glad, Miss Sedona. With your upcoming medical knowledge, you will be a great asset to us." Dumbledore shook her hand warmly and she smiled, standing beside Sirius as they waited for the final four's decision. Ally and Remus were still clutching each other for dear life, but they shared a look and silently both nodded.

"Us too." she said. Remus nodded along with her statement, and Piper shot them both an encouraging grin. She knew how Remus had fretted over finding someone to love him with his… furry little problem… and she knew how he feared losing Ally. He hated having her anywhere near danger- he was much like Severus in that sense. Now, only James and Lily remained. They didn't hesitate a moment longer.

"And we too will join." they spoke as one, signifying to all that the people in the room were united. Dumbledore clapped his hands and stood, taking another lemon drop to add to the collection in his pocket.

"Wonderful! There is a meeting this evening, commencing at six in my office at Hogwarts. I hope to see you all there to meet the other members of the Order. Here is the Floo password." he wrote the words - _lemon drops- _on a piece of paper and left it with Piper.

"Thank you, Sir." she whispered. He just smiled and turned to Sirius.

"Mr Black, you would not happen to know where Mr Pettigrew is?" he asked. Piper gave a small giggle and turned away, bowing to Dumbledore slightly. She was thinking over her decision- was it right to agree so quickly? _They say good things take time… _she thought… _but sometimes really great things can happen in a blink of an eye…_

"Well, that was certainly a damper on the fun." Ally said after the professor had left. Piper didn't bother to respond, letting her friends take care of the conversation to cover her silence. She wasn't ignored for long, though, before Sirius joined her on her whole-again couch.

"I'm glad you said yes." he said quietly. She smiled and nodded.

"So am I." was her simple reply.

"Pip? Ally and I are heading home- we'll see you at the meeting?" she heard Remus call and turned from where she was sitting to wave goodbye.

"Come again soon, guys. I love having you over." she called. They smiled and left, leaving Lily and James to join Sirius and Piper.

"What a day, huh?" James sighed, sinking into the couch. The other three hummed a reply.

"In a week I've gone from recluse to socialite to secret agent." Piper remarked with a giggle. Soon, the four broke down in laughter, rolling on the couch together in what looked like a ghost of days gone by. For a moment, none of them are scared of the future. Lily wasn't stressing about the wedding, James wasn't stressing about his Auror's interview; Piper's not worrying about her apprenticeship, and Sirius wasn't worried about being alone.

They're together, and that's all that mattered. Even with two missing, it was still the greatest friendship ever.


	18. Attack

_18_

_Attack_

_Piper and the others are celebrating her birthday when they become involved in a Death Eater's raid in Hogsmeade._

"Can you believe you're eighteen? How does it feel?" Lily asked quietly. Piper stood in her bathroom dressed in a form hugging, floor-length red gown, trying to twist her hair into the same hairstyle as she had at the Ball. At Lily's question, she shrugged. Piper was the youngest in their group by three days- a fact that Remus enjoyed rubbing her nose in. He was born on the fifth of August, she on the eighth. The group usually celebrated the events on the same day, but since they were officially- by Muggle standards- adults, they were holding two separate parties.

"Alright. Kind of exciting, but terrifying. After today… I'm not a kid anymore. And that hurts." she replied, clutching the sink as a wave of nausea hit her. She hadn't been feeling well all night- nerves, she supposed. She wondered if she'd see him any time tonight? They were all heading out to Hogsmeade, so perhaps… she would.

"I know the feeling." Lily replied, just as quietly. Piper only smiled and turned away from the mirror, damned if her hair fell out.

"Is everyone here?" she asked, her stomach doing flips at the thought of her friends finally together again. But under that… something was missing.

"Yes. They're downstairs; do you want to open your gifts now or later?" Lily smiled, taking Piper's arm and leading her down the stairs. The blonde laughed and shook her head as she saw the four people waiting in her living room. James, Sirius and Remus all wore their dress robes from the Ball, while Ally had her beautiful hair up in a messy bun and a knee-length blue dress that complimented her creamy complexion perfectly. For the first time, Piper saw through Ally's quiet, keep-to-herself personality to the beautiful girl underneath; she wasn't surprised that Remus was head-over-heels for her.

"Piper, you look amazing." Sirius whispered, taking her arm as James lifted Lily bodily from the bottom step and hugged her.

"So do you, Sirius." Piper whispered, twisting a piece of his unusually smooth hair between her thumb and forefinger, letting go quickly as he adopted a soft look. Biting her lip, Piper turned to watch Lily as she weakly tried to remove herself from James' hug. They looked perfect together; Lily was wearing a silver gown that just swept the floor and set off the shine of her red hair and the light in her green eyes. Piper nearly cried; everything was perfect.

"_Accio camera." _Piper whispered. The wizarding device flew to her and, hiding behind Sirius, she took the picture of the happy couple laughing in her living room. At the flash and click, James looked up, a grin still on his face.

"You look so happy." Piper shrugged in excuse. James chuckled and shook his head, clearly forgiving her as he hugged Lily close again.

"Sickening, isn't it?" Sirius muttered. Piper laughed at him as she stowed the camera in her bag and turned to Lily, who had finally succeeded in getting free.

"Hardly, Sirius. It's beautiful." Piper replied. Lily held a package in her arms and Piper's mouth went dry.

"I hope you guys didn't spend a fortune on me. I've already got everything I need in this very room." she said jokingly, taking the package anyway. Lily caught her eye and mouthed the word 'liar' to her. Pretending to ignore it, Piper ducked her head and unwrapped the gift from Lily and James.

"Oh, wow… guys!" she cried. It was a beautiful table setting for seven with their initials on the handle of each implement.

"Now you've got to have us over for dinner." James said sternly, as Piper nodded eagerly.

"Of course! They're beautiful!" she cried happily, admiring the craftsmanship. She didn't see Lily's approach until a slender hand pulled a set from under all the rest. Piper stared at the engraving; '_SS';_ before looking up at Lily sheepishly, guiltily.

"You know?" she whispered. Lily nodded sadly and hid it again before the others could see.

"I'm your best friend. I know everything." it was meant as a joke but Piper nearly choked. It was true… Lily always knew what was going on, what to say to make everything okay.

"Yeah, you do." Piper replied. Lily just smiled again and returned to sitting with James, letting Remus and Ally approach her with a large square held between them.

"We noticed that your walls are kind of bare… so we got you this." Ally smiled as Remus pulled the covering from the large, perfect picture of them all laughing and dancing at the Hogwarts Graduation. Piper gasped and smiled, tracing her hand over their images. _This must have been taken before I saw him… _she thought, seeing herself happily holding Sirius' hand as he danced with her.

"Remus, Ally… guys, this is… beyond words." she murmured, still tracing their forms. Her eyes were locked on the smiles, even as her own was watery and she felt the tears burning her eyelids. She swallowed them back and looked up to see the entire room watching her awkwardly.

"What?" she asked, breaking into an easy grin. It was getting easier to hide the pain, the longer she lived with it. Instantly, all the tension in the room broke and the occupants all smiled together.

"My turn, my turn!" Sirius cried, leaving his self-appointed position at Piper's side to rummage in the bag he'd brought. Softly, Piper set the picture hanging above the mantel of her fireplace. It would take pride of place; already, she could see herself loving that picture intensely.

"I know I brought you something…" Sirius muttered as they all looked on amusedly. Suddenly he straightened up and, with his hands cupped, walked carefully to kneel before Piper, holding his hands up to her.

"Sirius?" she asked, wondering what he was playing at.

"Piper, I've brought you something so unique, so perfect, that only you are worthy of it." he said solemnly. Piper froze; what had he done? Slowly, Sirius opened his hands and formed them into an 'o' shape, so she could see him through the gap.

"Me!" he grinned. Piper snorted and laughed, all the melancholy lost as she grabbed Sirius' hands and pulled him into a hug.

"Oh, Sirius, you truly are a classic!"

"Bloody moron." James muttered good-naturedly.

"Jeez, mate, vain much?" Remus called. Sirius was oblivious to both comments.

"I was kidding, by the way. I actually wanted to ask if you would accompany me to Diagon Alley tomorrow? I have something in mind for you but I wanted your opinion." he whispered into her ear. Piper didn't even stop to consider the implications of his words.

"Of course." she replied.

"Alright, let's go to Madam Rosmerta's! Butterbeer on me!" James shouted, leading the way. Piper hardly noticed that Sirius wore an insipid grin as he left his arm around her waist… and she let him.

-[-]-

Piper held Sirius' hand in hers as they swayed to the soft music. She couldn't help but wish for Severus, but didn't let her longing cloud her happiness. Sirius had been nothing but civil and friendly, nothing over the top although he was clearly burning to.

"Sirius?" she whispered. He brought his head up from her shoulder to smile.

"Hmm?"

"I guess this means we're friends again?" she asked. He looked at her, puzzled.

"I've always been your friend, Piper, and I always will be." he whispered, tucking a stray strand of hair behind her ear. She smiled and stepped closer, wanting to hold him. She knew he was right. She had treated him so unfairly, and he'd let her go.

"Why do you put up with me?" she whispered. Sirius chuckled dryly.

"I will never know." he replied, making her laugh. She didn't say anything as her eyes closed and she rested her head against his chest. Sirius was warm and comfortable, the way he lead her in a soft sway. There was no pressure, no work, no past and no future, outside the little world Piper created especially for that moment. All it was, was her and Sirius, best of friends once again. And although her heart yearned for Severus, she knew she's always have a special place in her heart for Sirius. That's why, when the doors burst open, she didn't react until a burning pain separated them, and suddenly everything went to hell.

"Hello, everyone! Nice night… _to die!" _three Death Eaters blocked the door and a killing curse was flung in Sirius' direction. He ducked and the six Members of the Order drew their wands.

"Thanks for that!" he laughed, stunning the closest enemy and helping Piper to her feet. She stood on shaky legs, the Cruciatus curse still making her weak.

"Yeah, thanks." she whispered, drawing her wand from the garter on her leg. She didn't miss the widening of Sirius' eyes as she pulled him forcefully to the ground, another killing curse missing him by inches.

"Watch what you're doing!" she snapped, kneeling to send three simultaneous curses at the one who had tried to kill her. Sirius looked impressed as he held her hand for dear life while watching with a grin as Remus and Ally finished off the last remaining Death Eater.

"Bet they didn't expect that." James grinned. Lily, sobbing and hysterical, rushed into his arms as Ally held Remus to her. Piper joined the mood as she hugged Sirius, whispering prayers of thanks to whoever was listening. Twice his life had been spared that night, making her twice as grateful.

"Come on. Let's clean up." he whispered. Unusually detached from the horror, Sirius placed a kiss on Piper's forehead as she helped him right the place again. Remus had bundled the three Death Eaters up by the door while holding Ally with one arm, and James was no help at all; Lily wasn't letting him move more than two inches away from her.

"I wonder why they went for us first?" Sirius asked Piper, and she laughed humourlessly.

"A blood-traitor and a Mudblood? How could they resist?" she asked. He shot her a glare.

"Don't use that word." he snapped. Piper shrugged it off as she knelt before the three captive Death Eaters. Two of them were strangers to her, but the third… his hair was so familiar, and the wand lying at his feet. She gasped.

"Severus…" she murmured quietly, resisting the urge to let him go. Suddenly she knew who had hit her with the Unforgivable; Severus had been aiming for Sirius, and she'd copped the result of his hasty, inaccurate aim. Struggling between forgiving him and ignoring him, she finally settled on ignoring him. Let him see how it felt to be alone…

"Should we take these to Dumbledore?" she called. Sirius nodded and joined her, Remus and Ally in tow. The latter two looked pale and their hands were still linked. Piper sighed and caught them before they could help.

"Sirius and I can handle this. You two go home." she smiled. Remus just stared at her in shock.

"It's your birthday and you're going to be dragging Death Eaters around. I think you need some help-"

"Remus, please. I know you want to be a part of this but Ally needs you focussed on her. Imagine what could have happened if there was more?" the question made him flinch, but it achieved her goal. Remus nodded and squeezed her shoulder.

"I'm really sorry about the way things turned out." he said, turning to Ally.

"James, Lily, you two go too." Sirius called, and they nodded without complaint, filing out into the snow to Apparate away.

"Sorry, Piper." each of them muttered condolences under their breath before they left, but she heard none of them. She was too busy planning Severus' escape. She couldn't have him in Azkaban.

"Ready, Pip?" Sirius asked, easily levitating the two Piper assumed to be Avery and Mulciber. She smiled and levitated Severus, waving Sirius out the door first. In the two moments they were alone, she locked eyes with the captive Death Eater and smiled.

"When I give the word, run." she whispered. He could only hum in reply, but she took it as agreement as she followed Sirius. She knew this would be dangerous- the other two would be free, too. Piper waited until they were just outside the gates of Hogwarts. She allowed Severus to float closer to her, before slipping his wand into his pocket.

"Three, two… one." she whispered, wordlessly performing the counter-jinx to release them. Severus gently pushed Piper, and she stumbled to block his form from Sirius, before falling to the ground. She heard the faint 'pop' and knew Severus had Apparated away. Mulciber and Avery both tried to follow his path, but Sirius was far to quick for them. Both were stunned and trussed before they gained a foot of ground. Panting slightly, Sirius locked his eyes with Piper's as he offered his hand and dragged her to her feet.

"You alright?"

"Yeah. Bloody bastard got away. You?" she said, pretending to seethe with anger, when really, she was cheering. Severus was free.

"Fine. You're not hurt, right?" Sirius asked again, his whole body radiating concern. Piper shook her head.

"Guess he was more concerned with getting away." she shrugged. Sirius smiled and hugged her close.

"I was scared. Don't wanna lose you, Piper. Ever." he whispered. She choked back tears.


	19. The Wedding

_19_

_The Wedding_

_James and Lily finally tie the knot. Piper starts to wish for her own 'happy ever after'._

Piper was up with the sun and the eager bride, and had spent a total of three hours trying to convince Lily that everything would run smoothly. Still, the redhead stressed each time she heard a crash from downstairs- Sirius arriving- or a shriek- Piper, in her frustration. Slowly, Lily had relaxed and allowed Piper to pin her hair up elegantly, although that might have had something to do with the Calming Draught Piper slipped into Lily's tea.

"He loves me, doesn't he?" Lily asked for the hundredth time. Piper just clicked her tongue and rolled her eyes, firmly refusing to take part in that conversation. Lily shrugged casually, causing a piece of her hair to fall away from the main pile. Piper growled at it and pulled out her wand.

"No! No magic- this has to be done Muggle!" Lily cried, catching sight of it. Piper breathed slowly to calm herself.

"I cannot work with your hair, Lily Evans. I am going to lose it." she muttered.

"For you to 'lose it' implies that you 'had it' at one stage. I do not believe you ever did." Lily retorted. Piper caught sight of the cheeky grin and shook her head.

"Alright then, I'll do your hair simple." she said, giving up on imitating a glamour-charm's finesse and simply pulling to thick, fiery locks away from Lily's face and pinning them back with a white clip, high on her head. She finished the look off with a line of pearls that hung intertwined in the red hair and a white lily- to which the redhead snorted- tucked by her ear. Lily stood and twirled, her shoulder-length red hair flying around her face and spraying glitter all over the room. She finally stopped spinning and looked at herself in the mirror, smiling and obviously liking her reflection.

"You're a legend, Piper." she said with a wider smile. Piper shrugged nonchalantly and expertly pulled her slightly shorter blonde hair into a look similar to Lily's. She didn't exactly feel the need to dress either of them up; the ceremony was to be conducted by Dumbledore, and the guests were all people they'd known forever and their families.

"Hardly, Lily. It's the girl that makes the look."

"Now I know where James gets all his corny lines." Lily grinned back, smoothing the white gown down. It wasn't the traditional bell-shaped gown, rather a less extravagant form-hugging dress that swept the floor. She wasn't wearing a veil, or any makeup, not that Lily really needed it. Either way, Piper surmised, Lily looked gorgeous.

"You'd better get into your dress, Pip." Lily reminded her friend. Piper just nodded quietly and slipped behind the screen in Lily's room, pulling the pale blue gown up her body and settling it on her shoulders. She glanced in the mirror ruefully and suddenly wished that she were the one in white.

"Ready?" Lily called, a waver in her voice. Piper nearly laughed out loud.

"Yeah. Are you?" she called. Lily hummed and smiled at a prepared Piper.

"Nervous." she whispered, sitting on a tiny stool with her head in her hands. Her shoulders started shaking, and Piper quickly moved to wrap an arm around them.

"It's good to be nervous, Lil. Be brave; it's just James out there. Remember that, it's just James." she whispered. Lily slowly stood up, a look of fierce determination on her face. She clenched her fists and nodded once.

"Then let's do this. Is Daddy ready?" she asked. Piper nodded and opened the door, letting Laurence Evans enter and add his own encouragement to cure Lily's cold feet.

"Thank you, Miss Sedona." he murmured, his kindly green eyes- Lily's eyes- watering at the sight of his daughter. Piper turned as she closed the door, and saw exactly why Laurence had that expression. The tall windows of James' parents house, with their lacy white curtains, had been opened to admit the sunlight and the rays had bathed Lily in a light that set off the dress, her eyes, her hair, her skin. Lily glowed in the light, shone with happiness.

"Good luck, Lily Marie." she whispered, the final piece of encouragement, before she closed the door and walked downstairs to wait with Sirius for the bride.

"She okay?" Sirius asked, taking Piper's arm. She didn't protest, instead smiling happily and resting her head against his shoulder with a sigh.

"Nervous as hell. She looks radiant, though."

"I'm sure she does. So do you, for that matter." Sirius replied casually. Piper blushed and bowed her head, hiding the pleased smile.

"You're not looking so bad yourself." she murmured lightly. Sirius beamed at her and leaned in close to whisper a joke as the music played louder.

"I'm going to do my duty to the ceremony; as Best Man, I get to sleep with a Bridesmaid." he said. Piper squealed and slapped his arm, causing Remus and Ally- who were mirroring them from ahead- to turn and glare at his best friend.

"Sirius, behave yourself. James has been waiting for eight years for this day, so don't screw it up." he scolded. Sirius beamed brighter and pulled Piper a little closer to his body.

"Don't plan on screwing anything up, Moony." he promised, winking quickly. Remus rolled his eyes and faced the front again, just as the doors opened and the young flower girls- James' cousins- lead the procession into the garden wedding setting. Piper hadn't seen the outdoor preparations, but she had to smile as the scent of roses and lilies overwhelmed her. Everywhere she looked there was white; it was so bright it burned her eyes, but it was a pleasant feeling, one of total calm and happiness.

"Aaaand… now!" Sirius whispered shortly, just as the music changed from a light waltz to Wagner's wedding march. Piper giggled, Sirius grinned and they parted ways at the head of the alter, forming a guard of honour for the bride. Piper shot James two thumbs up, and his grin widened.

"Here comes the bride…" Piper whispered, wanting again to be in Lily's shoes. James had purposely arranged for the aisle to be shorter than normal, mainly so he didn't have to wait. Lily reached his side and he took her hand, smiling and mouthing 'hi' to her. Her shoulders shook as she giggled in response and they turned to Dumbledore, clad in a ceremonial white robe.

"Dearly beloved-" he began, and Piper tuned him out. Lily had written this particular speech herself, and Piper had heard it a million times before. Besides, she was preoccupied with a dark shadow lurking just outside the white tent. The shape was oddly familiar, and it made her catch her breath in prayer. She prayed it wasn't him; she had only just begun to heal…

"Do you, Lily Marie Evans take James Harold Potter, to be your beloved, from now until death do you part?" Dumbledore asked. Piper left the shadow alone- she was chasing ghosts anyway- to hear the reply.

"I do. From now until forever." Lily spoke the words with quiet confidence, betraying the passion and the heart behind them. She had spoken the truth, bared her soul, in those six words. James beamed at her, barely hearing Dumbledore as he asked the same question of him.

"I sure bloody do." James murmured, making the crowd giggle and Lily scowl. James grinned suddenly.

"Forgive me. I do, from now until forever, we'll be together." he whispered, his own soul portrayed and on the line for all to see. There was not a dry eye in the house.

"Then I pronounce you bound in matrimony… you may kiss the bride." Dumbledore announced. James gave a small grin and Lily's cheeks gained a pink tinge as he leaned in and touched her lips with his chastely, not daring to go any further since her father was watching. Piper held her breath as their joined hands glowed and a silvery-gold light engulfed them. Without realising it, her hand had wandered and clasped Sirius', and both were silently shedding tears. It had been a beautiful ceremony. As Lily and James pulled away from each other, the small congregation erupted in cheers, laughter and tears.

"They're married." Piper whispered, clapping heartily. Sirius was beside her, mirroring every motion.

"Finally." he muttered. Both burst into giggles as they rushed forward to be the first to congratulate the newlyweds.

-[-]-

It was merely a week later that Piper and Sirius were together again; joining Remus and Ally in bidding Lily and James farewell as they departed on their Paris honeymoon. All six were dressed casually in Muggle clothes, and the men looked more than a little dishevelled. Since the wedding, none had slept much and all of them had been celebrating constantly throughout the nights.

"We'll see you soon, Prongs." Sirius clasped James' hand as Piper hugged Lily tightly, letting her go so Ally could have her chance. Remus and James finished their farewells and James turned to Piper, a wicked grin on his stubble-coated face.

"Hey there, Pip." he said, drawing her into a hug. Piper returned it and felt tears slowly but surely rising up. They would only be gone for three weeks, is all she had to tell herself. Three weeks. It seemed like a long time to not see Lily, who had been spending nearly every day for a month with Piper, or James, who had barely left her side since their third year.

"Have fun, Prongs. Try to stay out of trouble." she warned, giggling lightly. James chuckled and let her go, tipping her chin so he could watch her reaction to his next words.

"Never. Try to look after Siri, won't you? He goes daffy without me." he grinned. Piper choked on the idea… then realised that she didn't mind Sirius after all. She knew in her heart that there would always be room for Sirius Black.

"Alright. Although he's daffy anyway." she replied. James grinned and released her.

"Yeah. I know, mate." he said with a small shrug. Piper smiled and turned to watch Sirius, who was animatedly talking to a blushing Lily.

"Go save her." Piper muttered. James complied willingly as he swept forward and swept Lily off her feet, carrying her bridal-style to the gate before letting her regain her feet.

"Fare-be-well, my dear companions! And never fear- we will ride again!" James shouted, to which the entire airport laughed.

"When the moon is high!" to the shock of the Marauders and their respective girlfriends, Remus shouted this last part. When confronted with the puzzled looks, he grinned meekly and shrugged.

"They wouldn't know the significance." was his excuse. Sirius laughed and clapped him on the back, the four waving goodbye as their newlywed friends disappeared from sight.

"Hey, where's Peter?" Ally suddenly asked. For the first time, Piper noticed the lack of quiet, sniffling man at their side. Sirius and Remus shrugged.

"Dunno. He said he's got some sort of meeting- he's got a job, apparently." the latter replied. Piper gasped.

"Oh no! A job!" she cried. Sirius winked at her.

"Yeah. You know, where you work all day for less money than-"

"Be serious, would you?" she snapped in return, regretting her choice of words as Remus and Ally groaned, Sirius grinned and slung his arm across her shoulders.

"I'm always Sirius, don't ya know?" he teased. Piper slapped a hand to her forehead.

"Ugh, old as time, Sirius! Guys, I've got to go to Saint Mungo's. They were going to let me know about the apprenticeship today." she explained, ignoring the snickers of Sirius Black, who apparently thought his own joke was hilarious. He sobered immediately and grinned.

"We'd better run then." Ally smiled, she and Remus setting the pace. Piper followed quickly, leaving Sirius to catch up, still grinning insipidly.

-[-]-

That night, Piper knelt beside her bed and for the first time since learning of her magic ability, she prayed.

"Dear Lord, please keep everyone I love safe. And guide them in their lives to the path that will lead them to your embrace… and Lord, please keep a special watch on Severus… he doesn't deserve the life he's been given. Amen." she slowly rose, whispering his name to herself. It had been days before she was even able to think it, let alone admit how much it hurt to live in the empty house- alone. She fell back against the pillows and thought back to Lily's wedding, and remembered the jealousy she'd felt as Lily had walked down the aisle.

"I want her happily ever after with you." Piper whispered, conjuring Severus in her mind. This illusion smiled at her, and held out his hand. She didn't dare move or say anything, lest he disappear.

"Piper?" it was his voice, too, and he was calling her. She smiled and stood, but the instant her feet touched the ground, illusion-Severus disappeared.

"Piper?" the voice was still there, but now she recognised it.

"Sirius! What the bloody hell are you doing here?" she snapped, running to the front door to open it. The man entered, looking a little worse for wear.

"I couldn't sleep… lonely, I guess." he admitted. With a sigh, Piper pointed to the couch.

"Have a seat, Padfoot."

"Thanks. I really appreciate this…" Sirius trailed off as Piper joined him with a cup of cocoa each. She smiled at him tiredly and, once they'd both finished their cocoa, fell asleep against his shoulder, dreaming of Severus Snape.

Neither saw the dark shadow of the man peering through the window, a look of utter self-loathing on his face.

"I still love you, Piper." he whispered, disappearing into the night. He wished Sirius hadn't arrived… there was a mole in their Order. He wished he could have warned her what was about to happen. He wished they could go back to being Seventh Years, without all this horror around them. He wished they were safe.


	20. The Announcement

_20_

_The Announcement_

_A year after their marriage, Lily and James have some news that makes Piper think of starting a family._

Lily and James have been married for almost a year now. That's impressive… I do wonder where they are though. Lily said she was just running into town for something, she didn't say what on the phone. Why am I worrying? She's fine-

Piper was roused from her musing by the sound of her telephone ringing, spurring her to leap off her couch and bolt into the kitchen, lifting it up in excitement.

"Hello?" she asked breathlessly.

"Hey, Piper! Are you busy?" Lily asked excitedly. With her tongue in her cheek, Piper smiled.

"Not really. Just waiting for a visitor." she replied. Lily laughed lightly.

"Yeah, sorry about that. I was wondering if you could Floo here? We're having a family meeting." Lily requested. Piper's heart leapt at the word 'family' but she grinned anyway.

"Sure. Is everything alright?" she asked, worried now. Lily sounded alright, but the fact that she was calling off their visit suggested something was up.

"Yes! Can you come over, Piper? Please? It's really important."

"Okay. I'll be there in a minute." Piper replied. Lily giggled, said goodbye, and hung up. Piper shook her head and replaced the receiver, running up the stairs and dressing in casual beige pants coupled with a long, brown knitted coat under her robes. Taking one look at herself in the mirror, she ran a hand through her hair and braced herself. Lily had sounded so incredibly excited, uncharacteristically so, and that meant Sirius would likely be around.

"When did I start caring what he thought again?" she asked her reflection coldly, glaring at her reflection. It wasn't fair for Sirius to still have a hold on her heart when she longed for another. Suddenly, she caught sight of a flash of black behind her and whirled around, seeing nothing but her own black coat hanging by the door. Still, her heart beat wildly as she felt her breath shortening.

"Severus." she breathed his name as she would the most complex of charms, hoping beyond hope that she would see some sign of his presence. Her eyes were drawn to the coat again as it moved without wind. Piper froze. That's not supposed to happen…

"Who's there? Anybody?" Piper longed for a human reply, but nothing happened. Her heart hammered in her chest as she slowly walked forward to touch the coat…

And it flew from the hook, straight into the arms of a tall, dark-haired man laughing at her.

"Hey! Sirius!" she laughed, leaping on him and wrenching her coat from his hands. Sirius just laughed at her and let her have it, grinning from ear to ear as he took her arm and lead her to the small shed she'd set up for Floo travel.

"I got you, Pip! Had you right scared!" he gloated. Piper shoved him roughly into the door and Sirius just grinned at her.

"How did you even get inside without me noticing?" she asked sharply. Sirius flushed and shrugged, pulling her into the corner of the shed and motioning for quiet. He leaned in close and whispered a warning into her ear that made Piper shudder.

"I can't believe I missed that!" she shouted, throwing her head back against the tin with a loud bang. Sirius caught her before she could go again and pulled her towards the fire.

"Fix it later. Lily called me on the felly phone-"

"Telephone." Piper corrected quickly, wondering when Sirius had brought himself a telephone. He gave her a puzzled look and shook his head.

"What's a telephone?" Sirius asked. Piper rolled her eyes, wondering if he was being serious or… Sirius. He was looking at her hopefully as she took a handful of Floo powder and stood in the empty fireplace.

"A felly phone." she said, throwing the powder down and calling for Lily and James' address in an amused voice. The last she saw of Sirius before being whooshed away was the look of utter confusion on his face.

"HEY! Oh, LILY! PIPER'S HERE!" James bellowed, trying to brush his friend off while shout for Lily and sweep up the ash at the same time. He failed miserably in two of the three, but Piper didn't offer to help.

"Sit, James. I'll do it when Sirius arrives." she said with a grin. James slumped on the couch and smiled up at a glowing Lily over is shoulder. She squealed at the sight of a now-slightly-dishevelled Piper and rushed to hug her.

"PIPER!" she shouted, over and over. With a little difficulty and no help from a madly laughing James, Piper disentangled herself from Lily's embrace and took the seat nearest the fire.

"Last time I checked." she said lightly to Lily, just as Sirius stepped into the room- ten times more gracefully than Piper, who had stumbled and would have fallen if James hadn't been so enthusiastic in greeting her.

"Evannesco." Piper murmured, clearing the ash from the hearth. Sirius saluted both James and Lily before turning to Piper.

"What the hell is a telephone? I know what a felly phone is-"

"A telephone is a 'felly phone'." Lily said, puzzled by the conversation. Sirius gave all three in the room a confused look and fell back beside James on the couch.

"These women are confusing me. I was trying to tell Piper that Lily called me on the felly phone-"

"TELEPHONE!" Lily and Piper shouted at the same time. Sirius jumped and looked at them, hurt.

"That's what I meant." he said innocently, his eyes sparkling with amusement. Piper groaned and threw a balled-up piece of paper from her pocket at him.

"Ooh, what's this… a letter? From-" Piper snatched it out of his hands before he could open it and shoved it back into her pockets. She had no idea what it was, but she knew she didn't want Sirius seeing it.

"What was that?" James enquired, his arm around Lily's shoulders to keep her from bouncing in her seat. Piper shrugged.

"Secret recipe I was planning on 'testing' on him." she said lamely, pointing at a now-grinning Sirius.

"Oh, that's not nice-"

"I want in-"

"I don't think-"

"HEY!" Lily shouted, standing up. Piper, James and Sirius broke off in mid-argument and stared at her, the blonde taking in the way her cheeks were flushed with excitement and she bounced on her heels. Oh yeah, something's up.

"Yes, Lily?" James asked sweetly as his wife left the room and opened the front door.

"Remus, Ally, come on in. Peter! I was wondering when you three would arrive!" she called. Piper nearly laughed. Lily had stopped the 'fight' all because she heard guests.

"You could have let us go Lil!" Sirius called.

"Yeah, it's nothing they haven't heard before!" James added. Piper stayed quiet, her eyes suddenly locked on Peter's form. His eyes were darting about nervously, as if he wasn't really supposed to be there. The way he moved, too, was familiar in a twisted way. He walked with his hands buried in his pockets, and he didn't remove the left one even to hug Lily back. As he sat down and smiled at the room, his face a blank mask, Piper shrugged her suspicions off. Innocent, sweet Peter wouldn't be up to anything- but his eyes did hold shadows that she couldn't quite place.

"Now that we're all here, I have an announcement- we have an announcement to make." Lily started things off, a bright smile on her face as she looked to James reverently. Piper tore her eyes away from Peter Pettigrew and locked them with Lily's dancing green ones.

"Yup. It's great news…" James added in.

"And you pulled us away from our lives for it?" Sirius asked sceptically, his eyebrow raised. Lily shot him a glare, and he snapped his mouth shut.

"Come, Lily- tell us." Ally urged, leaning forward in her seat as far as she could without letting go of Remus, who nodded and smiled all-knowingly. Lily beamed around at them all and snuggled into James.

"I made one… incredible discovery just yesterday." she began, stopping to gauge their reactions. Sirius looked frustrated; Remus was calm- staring at Ally again- while she was nodding understandingly, impatiently; Peter looked… nervous, was the only way to put it; while Piper herself watched the scene with almost calm detachment. She was more patient than the others- excluding Remus- as she was used to Lily's halting ways; and Severus' mystery.

"What is it, Lily?" Remus asked softly, not impatient at all. Lily took a deep breath, locked eyes with Piper, and smiled.

"I'm pregnant." she whispered loudly. Everyone in the room froze.

"You're kidding?" Peter asked disbelievingly. Lily glared at him.

"No I'm not! I'm completely serious!" she cried.

"So am I , love." Sirius threw in. Lily's frosty glare turned to him, and he grinned.

"Congratulations, guys. James, you old stag!" Sirius amended hastily, to which Lily just sniggered. Ally was quickly out of her seat and hugging Lily, their screams echoing in the room. Remus followed his girlfriend, and Peter clapped in congratulations. Piper, however, hung back. Something in Lily's words, her voice… her happiness… almost turned her stomach with jealousy. She glared at her redheaded friend, wondering why the perfect Lily Evans got everything she wanted.

"It's not fair." Piper murmured, standing reluctantly and standing beside Peter. He shot her a look and a smile.

"What's not fair?" he asked. Piper raised an eyebrow and scoffed, still smiling so that if anyone else was looking, the two were celebrating the news.

"This." she replied. He gave her a knowing smile and touched her elbow.

"I know how you feel. Like we are outsiders, not really belonging here but staying out of convenience?" he asked rhetorically. Piper stared at the round-faced man before her, not quite believing the words that had just left his lips.

"Never thought you'd feel like that."

"Piper, I'm the idiot tagalong. You expected any different?" he said sharply, quietly. Piper just stared at him again, wondering what happened to the… she cut her thoughts off there, realising Peter was right. They all disregarded him as anything more than James, Sirius and sometimes Remus' bumbling, idiotic sidekick.

"Now that you mention it…" Piper trailed off as Lily broke free of the group and looked at the two expectantly.

"Finally, we get to see you!" Peter said happily, as if their conversation hadn't just happened. He rushed forward to scoop Lily into a hug, his earlier awkwardness and his deep-thinking gone as he giggled girlishly. Piper had to give him credit. He was a marvellous actor.

"Congrats, Lily! I can hardly wait- ooh, have you got a name?" Piper gushed. Lily laughed, throwing her head back and throwing her whole self into the laugh- something that only someone who was truly happy could do.

"Slow down! I only found out yesterday!" she laughed. Piper shrugged and raised an eyebrow.

"We picked out names for our kids when we were seven, Lily." she reminded her friend. At this, James perked up and joined the conversation.

"Do tell?" he pressured Lily, who blushed and shook her head.

"Come on, Lily… I'll tell mine if you tell yours!" Piper goaded.

"You first!" Lily cried, pointing at Piper. She shrugged and smiled slightly at the gathering. She knew exactly what kind of reaction the names she'd picked would get.

"Alright. For a girl, I picked Adelaide Lilia-Eileen, because my favourite people in the whole world share those names." she began.

"Isn't Eileen Snape's mum?" James asked. Piper nodded.

"Yes, that's who I was thinking of. Anyway, for a boy, I picked Severus Alexander."

"WHAT?!"

"WHY?!"

"Severus Alexander?"

"Guys!" Piper covered her ears and laughed along with the others, not missing Sirius' shocked, angry expression.

"I was seven, guys." she said as an excuse. James seemed to get over it as Lily nudged him with her elbow, but Sirius still glowered. Peter shot him a look that was clearly nervous, but nobody else noticed the bad mood.

"Your turn, Lily-Flower." Piper said with a grin, falling into a nearby armchair. Lily sighed.

"Lilybelle Piper- after me, my favourite book character and my best friend- and Edgar Allan- my favourite poet." Lily announced. James snorted as she said the name for a little boy, but other than that, Piper's names received the most uproar.

"We've got to go celebrate this news! It's proof that our Prongs is capable of consummating a marriage!" Sirius suddenly recovered from his glumness, never one to miss an opportunity to poke fun at James.

"OI!"

"PADFOOT!"

"SIRIUS!"

"Ha-ha, he's got a point, James!"

"True!"

Four in six people glared at the seventh member of their group, while the remaining two high-fived him and grinned at a sulking James.

"You, Sirius, are a bloody traitor." James growled playfully, swiping his friend across the head as the group headed out. Piper lagged behind a little, and when nobody was looking, she pulled the piece of crumpled paper from her pocket and began to read.

To My Piper,

This is dangerous for both of us, and I will never forgive myself if something goes wrong with this. I would have given this to you in person, but I am ashamed to admit that I am a coward and could not bring myself to destroy what little comfort you pull from the arms of Sirius Black. I wanted you to know that I am around, and I will be by your side if you need me. I meant what I said- every word of it- the night I left. I wanted to ask you something, also. This is selfish of me and I should not be asking but… would you meet me, just once? If you agree to see me, meet me in the Three Broomsticks at dusk on November 15, 1979. I will be in disguise, but I will reveal myself to you in due course.

I do not know if you have noticed the date, but that is the date I first met you all those years ago, when we were just three years old. I pray that I will see you there.

With all my love,

Severus Snape.

Piper smiled as she realised what the date was that very day.

"Hey, let's go to the Three Broomsticks!" she called, catching up to her friends. Nobody questioned her motives- they just agreed.

"We shall be together soon, my love." Piper murmured under her breath. Only Peter shot her a strange look, but she brushed him off.

"Have hope, Pete. They'll see the real you one day." she smiled instead, turning her back on him before he could react to her words.


	21. Confrontation

_21_

_Confrontation_

_Piper meets Severus in the bar, and she confronts him about the attack on her birthday._

Severus sat alone at the bar, waiting for Piper to arrive. If she would arrive, that is. This was one night that the Dark Lord did not demand the presence of all his followers- a rare occasion when Severus had been ordered from his master's side. Severus _hated _not being around the Dark Lord- not because he enjoyed the company of the Death Eaters, but because without the constant reminder to check his thoughts, Piper was free to wander through his mind, leaving her presence wherever she walked.

His head turned as the door opened, and he saw her.

"Lord have mercy…" he murmured, his eyes locked on her form. Both their forms. His redheaded former-best-friend was first, her arm around that despicable _Potter _and a huge smile on her face. Lily Evans-Potter turned face him, unaware that his eyes were tracing the contours of her face. Suddenly, someone beside Lily laughed lightly and stepped into the room, the soft lighting glancing off her cream skin and blonde hair, the candles in her searching, dancing eyes. She seemed to catch sight of him, because her face lit up in a huge smile and she ran a hand over her hair, although that was pointless- in his opinion, she always looked perfect.

With a small half-smile to himself, Severus stood and walked towards them, pulling another note from his pocket. This one gave her instructions on how to find him- childish, he knew, but Piper would find it amusing. She always had a knack for reverting to the childhood neither of them really had. Pretending to stumble, he crashed into her and slipped his hand into her pocket, locking his eyes with hers.

"Your pocket." he whispered, stepping away. He stepped around the group and back to his seat, watching her as she laughed, sharing a joke with Pettigrew. She took one look at an enamoured group before quickly scanning the note and looking up at him. He waved the rose he held, and she nodded her head once as she turned around again, making strange hand movements in his direction. Severus couldn't hold back a huge smile at Sirius' downcast, murderous expression as Piper continued to explain.

"…right back." he heard- saw- her say as she slipped away from the group of seven and flitted through the crowd towards him. He held his breath, taking in the woman he'd missed so much. She was thinner than she'd been in school- which worried him- and her hair was slightly longer. Her smile and her eyes though… _God, _Severus thought, _her smile… _her smile was still the same. Half-mocking, half-secretive, as if she held some secret that she wouldn't tell. Her eyes were darker, but that was a trick of the light. She still had those sea-green orbs that had captivated him, so expressive in their own way.

"Hello, lover." she murmured, giggling to herself. He raised an eyebrow, wondering what had gotten into her.

Then he smiled.

-[-]-

Piper trailed behind the six, her eyes darting back and forth around the room. No-one seemed particularly interested in the group, but that told her nothing. She knew to wait- Severus would come to her.

"Who would have thought that _our James _would get _Lily Evans _knocked up?" Sirius whispered. Piper giggled a little falsely and stepped into the room further, her back to her friends as she looked for him again. There was one man, shrouded in darkness, watching them all intently. She couldn't make out the features of his face, but the way he held himself was familiar. Taking a risk, Piper beamed at him, smoothing her hair down self-consciously. The man stood up, walking towards them. She stood still, half-turned away, and waited.

He staggered drunkenly and she felt her heart sink. Severus would never get drunk, not in public. He bumped into her lightly, and she felt a hand slip into the pocket of her tight jeans. She looked up into his eyes, the black irises seeming to scald her with the intensity they held. Piper's breath caught in her throat as he leaned closer to her.

"Your pocket." he whispered, moving on before anyone could catch on to what had happened. Piper winked all too late, and turned back to her group. No-one had noticed a thing.

"Bloody moron, trying to cop a cheap feel." Peter said scathingly, glaring at Severus' retreating form. Pretending not to know his true identity, Piper laughed.

"Yeah. Guess he saw something he didn't like." she replied quickly. Peter snickered and shook his head at her, shrugging to himself.

"Can't think of what, though." he complimented. Piper blushed and averted her eyes a little.

"Thanks, Pete." she murmured. He grinned broadly and tapped his nose, turning back to the others as he did. Piper took a gauging look at them, before slipping her fingers into her pocket and feeling the rough texture of the parchment Severus had left.

_Look at the bar. I hold your favourite flower in my hand._

With a small smile and holding her breath, Piper looked up. Severus held a red rose and waved it lazily in her direction. She nodded, resisting the urge to run to him and throw her arms around his neck. The night would be ruined if she were to do that.

"What you got there, Pip?" Sirius asked, leaving James alone for a moment to ask. Piper hid the parchment in her pocket as she smiled up at him.

"Nothing. Just saw an old friend is all… mind if I go speak with him?" she asked, biting her lip. It sounded like she was asking permission! The very notion made her blood boil, but before she could react, Sirius shot her a furious look.

"We're here to celebrate with Lily and James, and you want to just run off with the first man you see?" he hissed. Piper scowled at him and shook her head, gesturing towards Severus again.

"I'm not running off with him, Sirius, I'm just going to say hello! And another thing, I don't know why you're protesting so much- it's not like I'm yours!" she replied bitterly.

"No, you're not. And I don't want you to be. Go see your friend then, Piper. Enjoy yourself." Sirius spat, turning on his heel with a murderous look in his eye. Piper flinched at his words but sighed.

"Suit yourself, Sirius." she snapped, twisting as she approached Severus.

"Hello lover." she giggled. One eyebrow rose before he grinned at her, and Piper felt a shiver run up her spine. It had been so long… and although his face was different, it was still Severus. She would know those eyes anywhere.

"Thank you." he murmured, tipping his head forward and one hand reaching, searching for hers which she willingly gave. Their fingers met and Piper took one step closer as Severus stood before her, their bodies merely an inch apart. She wished she could see the real him, not the Disillusionment Charm he wore, so she could see how much a toll the Dark Lord's service had done to him.

"For what?" she whispered. Severus lowered his head to rest his forehead against her shoulder, nuzzling her neck.

"Risking everything on your birthday… meeting me here tonight… for permitting me hold you again… for daring to love me in the first place…" he trailed off and Piper felt her eyes moistening, despite the burning curiosity she'd felt at his mention of her birthday- and the attack that occurred. To hide the emotion from anyone watching, she turned her head to mirror his pose, her hands leaving his to wrap around his waist.

"About my birthday… you- you cursed me. I know it was you." she muttered, unwilling to bring up the subject but, at the same time, needing to know the truth. Severus stiffened in her arms and sighed, drawing away to look her in the eyes.

"I did not intend to strike you with that particular curse." he replied, his eyes pleading with her to believe him. Of course, she had already assumed that was the case, but still wanted to hear him say it.

"Who was it intended for? James? Sirius?" she asked quickly. Severus averted his eyes, looking down to where his hands were supporting her elbows gently.

"Black." he said quietly. Piper almost smiled, but remembered the burn of the pain.

"It hurt." she informed him. His eyes shot back up to hers, anger in them now.

"As I said, you were not the intended target!" he hissed. Piper shook her head and shrugged, smiling to show she wasn't angry, merely curious.

"I once read that to perform an Unforgivable, you need to mean it. Really mean it. The way the curse hurt me… I can't help but wonder what emotion fuelled it." she stated. Severus' expression softened, but his eyes were still wary. Her heart ached at the sight of the shadows he was trying to hide.

"Jealousy… anger… bitterness… regret." he replied bitterly. Piper cocked her head to the side and smiled slowly.

"No need to be jealous, Severus. I… only thought of you when I danced with Sirius." she whispered. It wasn't entirely true, but that didn't matter. It achieved her goal- Severus relaxed in her arms and he almost looked the way he did before his first revel. He hadn't quite been the same since then- as if everything in his life would flee if he stepped wrong.

"Do you want to get out of here?" he asked. Piper cast a look over her shoulder and sighed.

"I can't, Severus, although Merlin knows I want nothing more. We're… we're celebrating. I… kind of took advantage of them… it's just really awkward… I'm sorry." Piper finished lamely, and Severus nodded in understanding.

"Are you still living in Harmony?" he asked quickly. She nodded and held her breath, hardly daring to hope. Severus looked over at Piper's friends and smiled down at her.

"Perhaps I could-"

"Would you?" _Please, Severus, please…_

"If you wish-"

"Of course I do!" _I would love it… Severus, please!_

"Then I shall meet you there." he finally finished a sentence without Piper interrupted him, and she beamed up at him happily.

"I can hardly wait. I've missed you so." she said softly, reaching a hand up to tuck a strand of his hair behind his ear. Severus leaned into her touch and smiled, capturing her hand against his cheek and turning his head to kiss her palm.

"And I, you." he whispered. Piper giggled to herself and reclaimed her hand, absently fiddling with one of his buttons. She was reluctant to rejoin the Gryffindors, now that she had Severus back in her arms. This night could be over at any moment, and she wanted to take advantage of every moment.

"What are you celebrating?" he asked suddenly. Piper flushed, feeling awkward, and averted her eyes.

"Umm… it's… ah-"

"I know they're married." he said, jumping to conclusions. Piper shot him a look and sighed.

"It's Lily… she's… err, well… she's kinda pregnant." she whispered, shifting her weight as she awaited his reaction. She heard the sharp intake of breath, and felt him tremble under her touch.

"Lily's… having a baby?"

"Yeah. She… told us today. She's only a few weeks along, though." Piper replied, finally gathering the courage to look up at him. Severus had his eyes closed and his mouth was pressed in a thin line, the tension palpable. Finally, he opened his eyes and smiled half-heartedly at her.

"I suppose it would be inappropriate for you to leave." he said somewhat reluctantly. Piper bit her lip and shrugged.

"Can you wait an hour?" she asked softly, hopefully. Severus paused for a moment before nodding. Generally, the Dark Lord did not require him until the morning, but that was no guarantee.

"Barely."

"My sentiment exactly." Piper whispered, slipping from his embrace with practised ease. Severus bit back a whine at the loss of contact, settling instead for running his calloused fingers down her smooth cheek, marvelling at how she had barely changed.

"Will your charms still let me in?" he asked under his breath. Piper nodded, slowly leaving his embrace. Their gaze lingered on one another until Severus slipped through the door, Apparating to the café they'd danced by the year before.

-[-]-

"Severus? Are you here?" Piper called three hours later. Losing track of time was such… an annoyance. She received no reply and her heart sunk.

"Such an idiot, Piper. Idiot. Stupid, stupid, _stupid." _she muttered, dropping her coat on the sofa as she made her way sleepily up the stairs to her room, hardly noticing her door open when she had shut it that morning. It was only when she focussed on her crisp, white sheets that the saw the dark form sleeping peacefully. Her heart hammered in her chest and she didn't dare touch him.

"Severus?" she called nervously. He stirred a little, but didn't wake.

"Severus!" Piper tried again, louder this time. With a rather undignified snort, Severus sat up straight and stared around himself, a hand instinctively reaching for his wand pocket.

"It's me- Piper. Calm down, Severus, please-"

"I shouldn't have stayed this long, Piper."

"Just a little longer. I should have come earlier." she murmured, walking slowly to sit on the side of the bed beside him. Severus had taken off the Disillusionment charm, and now Piper could examine him in detail. His dark eyes held a look of utter pain as he stared at her, and his hair was longer and oily, and there was a scar on his chin. The rest of him was covered in the usual dark robes.

"You look well." he whispered. Piper laughed softly, through her nose, and tentatively extended a slender hand to run along his jaw line, feeling the stubble just beginning to grow. His eyes slid closed as his hand mirrored her action, clasping the back of her neck gently and running his thumb in tender circles.

"I'm so glad you're still here."

"I… selfishly refused to leave without seeing you."

"Severus…" Piper melted into his arms, feeling as though she never left and never would again.


	22. Eavesdropping

_22_

_Eavesdropping._

_Severus overhears something he shouldn't have, and tells the Dark Lord about it._

Morning arrived all too soon, and as Piper slumbered happily beside him, Severus slipped away. It was heartbreaking to watch as she stretched, searching for him in her sheets, and then whimper when her hands closed around empty air. She stirred suddenly, and Severus knew he didn't have much time. Kneeling swiftly beside her, he pressed a kiss to her temple.

"I still love you, Piper, but I cannot stay. Thank you… thank you for everything." he murmured against her skin, quickly darting through the door and out of her home, using the Floo to go directly to his cold empty living room, changing from his soiled black robes into a fresh pair before Apparating to the Dark Lord's side.

"Ah! There you are, Severus…" the pale man hissed, his red eyes gleaming. Severus swooped low in a bow, careful to shield his thoughts as he did so. Any mention of the previous night and the Dark Lord would kill Piper, just to be sure he had Severus' full loyalty.

"My Lord." he murmured through tight lips. It felt strange, wrong even, to be amongst evil after spending the night with Piper. It felt even worse to be bowing, praising this man who had destroyed so many lives.

"Have you heard the news, Severus?"

"No, my Lord." it was best not to speculate on what the snake-like man could mean- short, direct answers were best if you wanted to avoid being cursed. Voldemort laughed then, a high cackle that echoed around the empty room.

"Apparently _Dumbledore _has a secret weapon. Can you believe it? A _secret weapon!" _he mocked. Severus smiled a little, tipping his head in acknowledgement of the joke. Severus wasn't a joking man, but he had a decent sense of humour.

"Do we know what kind of weapon, My Lord?" Severus asked, realising his mistake a moment too late. Voldemort's eyes narrowed in anger and he hissed, sending a destructive spell whirring towards the wall, which crumbled on impact. Severus was only grateful that _he _wasn't the cause of such anger.

"No, we do not. And it displeases me greatly. My current source of information- WORMTAIL!" he bellowed, beckoning to a rat cowering in the corner. Severus narrowed his eyes. Where had he seen that rat before? Before another word was spoken, the rat bulged and shifted, transforming slowly into a broken, bleeding man.

"M-My Lord." he stammered weakly, pushing his once-healthy blonde hair from his eyes. Severus nearly gasped. Pettigrew… _Peter Pettigrew!_

"As I was saying, Severus, my current source of information is less than satisfactory." Voldemort said calmly, twirling is wand between two fingers threateningly. Pettigrew flinched and cowered, making Severus ground his teeth in frustration. Piper needed to know about this. If this snivelling, pathetic man was gleaning information, she was in danger. That could not be allowed.

"As I see, My Lord." Severus said, biting back all of his insulting comments. Voldemort did not appreciate such remarks; Severus learned that the hard way.

"A loyal servant, you are, Wormtail… but I have it on good authority that the Order of the Phoenix does not trust you?" Voldemort asked Pettigrew sweetly. Peter shook his head miserably, cringing as he awaited the curse no doubt heading his way.

"_Crucio!" _Voldemort hissed. Severus forced himself to watch the body writhing on the ground, even when the dull blue eyes shot open and locked with his, pleading with him to make it stop. Voldemort relented finally, but Peter still held Severus' gaze. Despite the pain he'd suffered at the hands of this man and his friends, Severus felt a cold stab of pity for the broken form before him, the trickle of blood running down from a wound buried by his hair.

"And why is that?" Voldemort snarled. Pettigrew cowered beneath the stare, and Severus wondered what the point of this was. A show of intimidation? There was no need- Severus already feared for his life whenever they were in the same room. Would Severus be ordered to kill Pettigrew? Unlikely, he reasoned. If the man was wanted dead, he would be dead already. Bellatrix would see to that.

"Th-they no longer trust anyone, my Lord." Pettigrew whispered. Voldemort let out his breath in a hiss, sending Pettigrew sailing to slam into the far wall with a flick of his wrist. Severus didn't spare the crying man another glance, instead holding his master's gaze.

"I want you- Severus- to spy on Dumbledore. Gain his trust- while all the time, gleaning the Order's details… on the people- so we can wipe them out, one by one…" Voldemort's voice softened with each word, slipping into a fantasy that Severus wanted no part of. _Piper is a member of this Order. She could be next… Merlin, please spare her…_

"I would be honoured to serve you in this way." Severus said slowly, careful to show no emotion in his eyes. Voldemort snapped out of his trance, his face twisting in the best smile he could manage- which was no more than a baring of sharp teeth. The expression looked rather unnatural; it made the red eyes pull together in a sickening way.

"Then go, my loyal Death Eater…" Voldemort trailed off as Severus turned on his heel and stalked from the room, robes billowing without wind. As he closed the heavy door behind him, Severus heard the cold laughter and the screams of Peter Pettigrew.

He nearly vomited.

-[-]-

His hands trembled slightly as he finished wrapping his features in bandages so the only person knowing his identity was… well, no-one. Only five narrow slits were open for his eyes, nose and mouth. Every other visible part of his body was covered in the yellowing fabric, and the smell was quite frankly horrific. Severus caught sight of himself in a mirror as he passed it; and he shuddered.

"I look horrible." he murmured, barely recognising the sound of his voice. That, he supposed, was a good thing. It wouldn't do if people at the Hogs' Head were to realise who- what- he was, it would mean death to many. The day before, he had succeeded in Confunding Mundungus Fletcher, and the man had babbled about a _male _figure being Dumbledore's secret; '_the end of the dark, the end of the pain… must not let the Dark Lord know his name…'._

"Idiot." Severus spat with disdain at the mere thought of Fletcher; the despicable coward. It was all too easy to glean the Order's secrets from him; he even knew where Marlene McKinnon's family was to be honoured. The whole Order would be attending the funeral… Severus shuddered again. All he had to do was say three words to Voldemort and Dumbledore would be defeated- but the thought of Piper being the victim of Mulciber and Avery and Lestrange made him physically sick. With one final, bandage-covered sneer at himself, Severus slammed the door behind him and Apparated to a dark grove of trees near the Shrieking Shack. With a jolt of surprise, he found himself wondering what had become of Lupin, where the werewolf would transform. And there was no malice in his heart; it made Severus almost chuckle. Almost.

"Aha!" the shout made him jump and curse himself mentally as he spun on his toes, wand in hand and braced for an attack. Instead, he saw several figures frolicking in the snow- Lily and James Potter. Behind them, Sirius Black held Piper Sedona in a warm embrace, shielding her from the snowballs flung from a grinning Lupin. Wishing for an instant he could fling off the shackles of his chosen path and take the petite blonde in his arms, Severus turned away and bit his lip, willing himself not to hear her voice shouting out various insults and war cries.

"Take that, Slime ball!" he heard her words and felt the impact of the snow before a scream and the sound of running footsteps alerted him to Piper's awareness. They had discovered him.

"Oh, I'm so-" Severus didn't wait to hear the apologies or see the pity on her face. He didn't wait to see if she would recognise him- he couldn't take that chance. He barely heard her shouts for him to come back; if he had, he knew he wouldn't be able to resist. Piper's pull had always been too strong.

"Oh… can I get you anything, love?" the barkeep- who's name Severus had never cared to learn- asked politely. He could hear the pity in her tone and felt suddenly sorry for the man he was impersonating. Another nameless casualty in Voldemort's quest for power.

"No." he replied shortly, taking a seat beside the stairs and in the shadows. This way, he would know if Dumbledore or the mysterious Seer the headmaster was meeting arrived.

"What happened to you, mate?" a passing man paused to peer unpleasantly at Severus' bandaged face. With a sneer only he could possibly know was there, Severus tossed his Charmed-grey hair over his shoulder.

"None of your concern, is it? And I am hardly your 'mate.'" he replied coldly. The man continued on his way after pulling a horrid face.

"I am injured, not blind you dunderhead!" Severus muttered after him, quietly though. He didn't want attention at all; he wanted to blend in and disappear. To help himself, he quickly murmured a Disillusionment charm, causing the air around him to shimmer slightly and then settle. He was now totally- almost- invisible unless anyone was actually watching for him specifically. _Useful little charm. _he thought with a self-satisfied smile. All he had to do now, was wait.

-[-]-

"Right this way…" Severus took the opportunity to smile beneath the bandages and fancy that the Headmaster was inviting _him _up to share tea in private quarters. It certainly settled his stomach; he knew Dumbledore would show him no mercy if he were caught. No, Dumbledore wouldn't physically harm him. Azkaban for the rest of his life, maybe. Or perhaps he'd turn Piper into some sort of spy; or maybe he'd send her away for good. That scared him; the thought of never seeing her again. She was the only thing that allowed him to survive and participate in the Dark Lord's revels. Thinking of Piper, that he was doing this for her, made everything seem okay. Not right, but okay.

"Now, Sybill… you said you had something to share with me?" the two- the wizened, greying old man with a crooked nose and eyes that hid the manipulative soul beneath; and the young, frizzy-haired red-faced stick of a woman who glanced about nervously- took their seats in a warded room. Severus had only just managed to position himself in the room before they sealed it shut.

"Y-Yes, Headmaster. I-I-"

"Do not be nervous, my dear. We are in perfect safety- no-one shall know it was you who spoke of this except us two." Dumbledore's voice was soothing, but it only sent chills down Severus' back. Sybill still looked incredibly nervous; as if she expected Death Eaters to storm the building and torture her for information. With a wry smile, Severus stood completely still and waited.

"I had a dream, sir." she whispered. From his position by the door, Severus could see the brief look of impatience cross Dumbledore's face, but he gave the old man credit for hiding it well.

"And what was this-" Dumbledore cut himself off as Sybill threw back her frizzy head and took a rattling, gurgling breath. Her eyes glazed over and she trembled violently; all signs of an impending Revelation. This is what Severus had been waiting for; the weapon was about to be revealed.

"_The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord approaches… born to those who have thrice defied him, born as the seventh month dies… and the Dark Lord will mark him as our equal, but he will have power the Dark Lord knows not… and either must die at the hand the of the other for neither can live while the other survives… the one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord will arrive as the seventh month dies…"_

Severus didn't need to hear any more. He pushed open the door, aware of the terrified squeak Sybill uttered, and Dumbledore's swift footsteps. Severus didn't stop running until he reached the outskirts of Hogsmeade and Apparated away, his heart hammering in his chest. Dumbledore's secret weapon was… an unborn child.


	23. Surprise

_23_

_Surprise_

_Piper makes a discovery that both delights and terrifies her._

She groaned as she rolled out of bed for the fourth time that morning, not even having the energy to rush to the bathroom before her stomach heaved and the contents spilled forth in violent motion. Her throat burned as she weakly wiped her mouth and settled back onto the pillows, fearing for her life. Never had she felt so ill, so helpless and weak. It had been four months since her encounter with Severus, and she'd gained at least three pounds since.

"What is wrong with me?" Piper wailed, her voice cracking and her eyes watering as her entire body shuddered with pain once again. She wished she'd sacrificed her pride and called Dumbledore, but so far only Lily and James knew that she was ill. Reaching for her wand, Piper summoned her Patronus, a great curling Python.

"Fetch me Dumbledore, and ask him to bring Madam Pomfrey. Tell them to hurry." she commanded, smiling as the silvery animal curled and twisted its' way through the wall and towards Hogwarts. Piper sat up then, feeling slightly better. This flu had lasted about three weeks now, and she'd decided to give up on hiding it. She needed to know what was wrong; even if it was bad. Half an hour later, Dumbledore appeared at her door looking flustered and stressed, a worried Madam Pomfrey at his heels.

"Miss Sedona… you called?" the Headmaster asked, clearly concerned for health. Pomfrey didn't wait to be invited in, she pushed by Dumbledore to lie Piper on her back and examine her thoroughly.

"How long have you been experiencing this illness?" Pomfrey snapped briskly, concern written on her features. Thinking hard, Piper shrugged.

"Three weeks, give or take." she replied. Madam Pomfrey glared at her.

"And you didn't think to take yourself to Saint Mungo's? Does anyone even know you're ill?" she asked loudly. Piper bit back a wince at the volume and wished Dumbledore would step in.

"Lily and James know. They've been checking in when they can- between Lily's own check-ups and the thing they call 'married life'." she tried to joke. Madam Pomfrey's lips twitched and Dumbledore stepped further into the room, his features softening.

"Yes, it is quite the difficult juggling act." he murmured, a nostalgic look on his face that made Piper imagine him in a tux with a blushing bride by his side. Now, that was a difficult thing to do since she'd never seen him in anything other than sparkling purple and/or silver robes.

"I wouldn't know, Sir." Piper murmured just as quietly, jumping a little when Madam Pomfrey's cold hands pressed against her slightly protruding stomach. Dumbledore touched the healer's shoulder lightly and she backed off, smiling to herself.

"Well, I think it's quite obvious." she announced. Confused, Piper shrugged her shoulders. She was still a Healer in training, and respected the woman's judgement above her own. Dumbledore didn't seem as confused as he stared hard at Madam Pomfrey and smiled softly at Piper.

"A great addition to the world. But I do wonder…" he said, blue eyes sparkling in amazement as he trailed off. Struggling a little, Piper hoisted herself up onto her elbows and looked between her two guests.

"What's wrong with me?" she asked. Her question made both the Headmaster and Healer laugh heartily as Madam Pomfrey took Piper's hand and held it in her own, tears leaking from her eyes.

"My dear Piper, how I had hoped to see this day. You, my girl…" the portly woman trailed off, a fondness emanating from her eyes that made Piper feel more at home than she'd ever felt. Madam Pomfrey had always been a mother-like figure, someone Piper trusted and respected and… loved.

"You are with child." Dumbledore finished proudly, a smile creasing his face and making his long beard twitch pleasantly. Piper froze. _With child?! As in pregnant?! Impossible… unless-_

"Should I contact Mr Black? I'm sure he will be pleased to hear the news." Madam Pomfrey's rushed assumption startled Piper out of her shock. She quickly shook her head and lowered herself to lie back on the bed.

"No, no…" she murmured softly, her brows drawing together in an effort to restrain her mind.

"Piper, how often do you… expel the contents of your stomach?" Madam Pomfrey asked, all traces of tenderness gone as her working façade returned. It was a welcome distraction as Piper forced herself to think of anything but her last encounter with Severus.

"About three or four times. Usually early in the morning, and it goes away by lunch." she replied. Seeming concerned, Madam Pomfrey looked at Dumbledore.

"Could you give us a moment, Headmaster?" she asked firmly, her tone suggesting no room for argument. Dumbledore didn't even try; he nodded once and touched Piper's forehead tenderly before sweeping from the room grandly. Piper knew he hadn't left; he would wait for Madam Pomfrey.

"Have you lost any weight?" the Matron continued. Piper shook her head.

"No. I eat like a horse." she said lightly, remembering with a slight smile the dinner she'd eaten the night before. A craving for chocolate had hit her just as the sun had set, and she'd watched the fading light accompanied by the sweet candy.

"But you cannot keep it down?" Madam Pomfrey asked, her lips twitching at Piper's comment. She shrugged.

"Lunch and dinner's alright. The sickness only strikes at about four in the morning." she replied. Madam Pomfrey's eyes lost some of the concerned light and she perched lightly- or as lightly as she could, for she wasn't exactly a thin woman- on the side of the bed.

"What is your diet? Any cravings?" she asked. Piper managed a wide smile.

"Chocolate is a major one. Toasted wheat-bread with soda biscuits another… pickle-and-onions on cheese slices. Peanut butter sandwiches." she ticked off the major ones on her fingers and Madam Pomfrey smiled with each.

"The toast will do this good- it's a Muggle remedy for morning sickness. Chocolate… well, you always had a sweet-tooth so it's no wonder your baby has one too. Pickles, onions and cheese are good too- common cravings. Watch the peanut-butter, though. It's high in fat and we don't want you gaining more weight than necessary. Try drinking lemonade and flat soda-water to settle your stomach… other than that, eat healthy, no smoking, no drinking." Piper smiled all through the lecture, her hand resting on her belly. Her entire body felt warm and calm.

"Will it go away?" she asked suddenly, not sure if she could put up with the illness for long. Madam Pomfrey nodded.

"You're about eleven weeks along and it usually stops at fourteen. If it gets worse, or you expel blood, call me in again or go to the hospital- Muggle or magical." she replied. Piper's brows drew together again in a frown as she struggled with the mathematics of her situation. It had been nearly four months since she'd seen Severus… another five to go if the baby was full-term.

"What about the due date, Poppy?" she asked tenderly, smiling down at her stomach. She knew Lily was due in late July or early August. Madam Pomfrey hesitated for a moment, but was quicker with the math than Piper.

"July. Late July." she announced. Piper laughed out loud.

"Lily's going to be ecstatic!" she grinned. A soft knock at the door caught both their attention as Dumbledore re-entered the room.

"May I speak to you for a moment, Poppy?" he asked. Madam Pomfrey shot Piper a concerned look, but the Headmaster looked tragically sad with his brows drawn together and his mouth tilted downwards in a horribly devastated grimace. Madam Pomfrey pulled the door closed behind her, but didn't actually close it. Curious, Piper silently stood and held the bed frame until the dizziness passed, before she crept to listen in to their conversation.

"As the seventh month dies, Poppy. July 31st." Dumbledore whispered. Piper frowned, biting her lip at his tone. He sounded desperate, frightened even.

"I don't understand, Albus. What are you saying?" Madam Pomfrey asked in a hushed voice.

"They're in danger- all three families. Lily and James, Alice and Frank, Piper and the child. All three children are due at the end of July- just when the prophecy declares the Chosen One will arrive."

"DUMBLEDORE!" Piper shouted, yanking the door open and glaring at him. She had been unaware that any extra danger was pointing at her friends. Madam Pomfrey immediately rushed to guide her back to the bed and Dumbledore followed the two distressed women.

"What do you mean the Chosen One could be…" Piper trailed off, a hand on her stomach and a grimace twisting her expression painfully. Lily and James? Frank and Alice? It wasn't possible.

"I was going to tell you-"

"When? When the Dark Lord decides _my baby _is the Chosen One? When he bursts in here deciding to kill me-"

"Piper, calm down. Stress isn't good for you." Madam Pomfrey soothed the seething nineteen-year-old. She threw her head back and took three deep breaths, waiting for the Headmaster to continue.

"I had planned to tell Lily, James, Alice and Frank tomorrow, during the meeting. All the Members of the Order will be attending, and as soon as the children are born all of you will go into hiding. For now, Piper dear, I suggest you contact your friends and tell them the good news." Dumbledore's tone left no room for argument, not that she dared to anyway. Her child… her baby… already in danger and not even born.

"Thank you soo much, Headmaster." she drawled sarcastically, not bothering to hide the scorn in her tone. Dumbledore shot her a dark look and stood to leave.

"Feel free to contact me if you have any concerns." was all he said as he swept from the room, seemingly oblivious to Piper's glare and Madam Pomfrey's trembling lips.

"I must leave, Piper. I'm-"

"Don't say it, Madam. Please don't say it…" Piper trailed off as Madam Pomfrey tucked her in, pressed a kiss to her forehead and softly closed the door behind her.

"I'll do whatever it takes to make you safe, my darling." Piper whispered, sea-green eyes brimming with tears. Slowly, she curled into a ball and sobbed.


	24. As The Seventh Month Dies

_24_

_As the Seventh Month Dies_

_Lily's son Harry James and Piper's daughter Adelaide Lilian-Eileen are born within the space of two days._

Fear is the worst emotion in the world. Fear for your life, for the lives of your friends. It is worse when you were totally helpless, a slave to that fear, and you would do anything to stop feeling it. You became afraid of being alone because you were terrified that your blinding, terrible aching fear will consume you and spit you out broken and defeated. Piper's pregnancy progressed at the same speed as Lily's, and that only drew the two families closer. It wasn't uncommon for Piper to be sleeping in the Potter's spare room, or for Sirius to stay in Piper's. Madam Pomfrey's prediction had been correct and the rehabilitating morning sickness had disappeared in favour of the baby's boisterous movement.

Once again, Piper lie awake in the middle of the night, clutching her stomach and biting her lip fiercely to keep from crying out. To distract herself from the kicking child within her, she stared at the calendar beside her bed and focussed on her approaching 20th birthday ten days away.

"AH!" the cry escaped her lips before she could help herself, and her body jerked awkwardly as a spasm of pain rushed up her spine. As it faded, she felt the hot tears burning paths down her cheeks and petted her stomach soothingly. Her distress must have been transmitting through to the child.

"It's okay, baby… lie still for Mama, will you? There's a good baby…" she whispered, hoping the child could hear. For the last three hours, the pain had been a constant ache but Piper refused to admit that it was contractions. She believed that if she held on until August First, her child would be safe. The prophecy child would be born in the _seventh _month, after all. Lily and Alice had both yet to give birth, and all three women were following Piper's example. She felt the twitch before the pain and buried her face in her pillow, muffling the groan of pain. It became clear to her then that her baby was not going to be an August child. Panting and rubbing circles over her swollen stomach, Piper tried to relax her body to numb the pain.

"SIRIUS!" she screamed as another wave of pain hit her- another contraction. She glanced at the clock as she heard her best friend stumbling around in the next room- six minutes apart. Sirius burst into the room and switched on the light, his hair a mess and his eyes bloodshot as if he hadn't been sleeping either.

"Piper? What is-"

"It's… TIME!" Piper wailed, squeezing her eyes shut as she arched her back from the bed. This was worse than the Cruciatus Curse.

"Now?" Sirius asked, still half asleep. He stumbled blindly for her already-packed carry bag. With her hair sticking to her forehead and her hands clenched into fists around the sheet, Piper shot him a dirty look and found the energy to laugh out loud.

"Yes, now!" she cried. Sirius snapped awake and took her hand, muttering the release spell that would lift her wards from the property for exactly ten seconds. That done, he smiled down at Piper and Apparated them both to the main maternity ward of Saint Mungo's hospital. Piper laughed through her next contraction, thinking of the six short months she worked at the hospital.

"How long?" the nearest Healer rushed to help Sirius, and levitated Piper onto a single bed. She grimaced and took deep breaths, remembering only now the breathing techniques she and Lily had spent hours laughing over.

"Six minutes apart. Three hours." she muttered. Sirius gave her a half-glare.

"And you only call now?" he asked bitterly. She smiled at him before the pain took her again and the Healer rushed the bed carrying Piper into a small, private room. Sirius tried to follow, but was stopped at the door.

"Are you the father?" the nurse asked suspiciously. Vaguely, Sirius recognised her as a Hufflepuff girl a year below them- a girl he had once dated. Shaking his head, he continued after Piper only to find himself unable to move. The Hufflepuff nurse stepped in front of him and pointed to the waiting area.

"Family only." she sneered.

"SIRIUS!" Piper screamed. The nurse wavered a little, and waved her finger under Sirius' nose.

"Get in the way and you're out." she warned. He didn't bother with a reply as he rushed to Piper's side, staring down at her pallid face and sticky, sweat-marred hair.

"Here." he said, taking her hand. She didn't have much upper body strength, he reasoned. Until the next wave of pain hit and she all but broke every bone in his hand.

"That hurt, Pip." he quipped, trying to distract her. She locked her eyes with his and he saw the anger.

"GOOD!" she screamed, again squeezing his hand. Sirius winced dramatically and grinned as her lips twitched despite the pain.

"Push, Piper!" the midwife called. Shooting her a dirty look, Piper threw her head back onto the pillow.

"WHAT DO YOU THINK I'M DOING?" she bellowed. Sirius tried to avoid looking at her raised knees, although he couldn't see anything behind the sheet anyway. He did chuckle a little at her pissed-off tone.

"IT ISN'T FUNNY, BLACK! IF THIS WAS YOUR DOING I WOULD HEX JUNIOR OFF!" Piper threatened, her face screwing up with the effort. Sirius' wince was for more than one reason. _Who is the father? _he wondered. Piper had been incredibly secretive about it; not even Lily knew, although she hinted that she had a hunch. Piper flatly refused to discuss the baby's heritage.

"That's a bit below the belt, ain't it Darl?" he asked, grinning to himself when Piper's scream was wordless. The three Healers in the room gave him a look that clearly said they were questioning his sanity. Sirius himself questioned it when Piper crushed his hand in hers again. He did marvel over it- she was so slender and petite, he wondered how she summoned the strength to cause that much damage.

"Nearly there, Piper! One more!" the Healers were encouraging, but Sirius saw none of it. He was focussed on the look of pure rage on Piper's face each time someone said 'good girl' or 'you're going fine'.

"That's it!" someone else called. Piper cried out again and fell back, sobbing and shaking her head.

"Can't… I can't… I'm sorry, I can't… I-"

"Piper." Sirius whispered, turning her face to look her in the eye. She shook her head slightly and whimpered in pain.

"I can't." she wailed. Sirius shook his head at her and set his mouth in a firm line.

"You can. Push, Piper. You can. Ignore them- look at me. Focus on me, only me. Push, darl… that's it, love. You can. I'm here and you can. You are strong." Sirius repeated the same words in random order and Piper obeyed, she kept her eyes on his. With one final, great effort, Piper felt all the pressure on her lower back released in one great drop. Her strength failing, she gripped Sirius' hand tighter and waited. His eyes were the last thing she saw before she lost the fight for consciousness. It was Sirius who held the baby first, and it was he who informed Lily, James, Remus, Ally, and Peter of the events of July 29th, 1980.

-[-]-

Piper slept for a full twenty-four hours until the scream of a baby brought her out of her stupor. She frowned in frustration, her nose scrunching up in confusion.

"Hush, baby girl… your Mama's sleeping now…" a soft male voice crooned. Piper had never heard Sirius Black speak with such tenderness before. Slowly, she cracked open one eye and saw the scruffy-haired man holding a tiny pink bundle in his arms. He bounced on his heels and twisted slowly. The child's cries quieted in favour of laughter as Sirius pulled a face and blew a raspberry.

"Sirius." she murmured. He whipped around to face her and beamed happily, tilting the baby so she could see the prone form of her mother.

"See, baby girl? That's your Mama." he said, winking at Piper as he slowly bounced his way to hand the child over. Piper drew the tiny girl close to her chest and took a deep breath. Cheekily, the baby cooed and grasped a fistful of Piper's hair, yanking on it firmly.

"Ah… too hard, darling-"

"Strong, isn't she? Got your grip." Sirius interrupted smoothly, positioning himself on the bed so he was half leaning over Piper and half over the baby. The blonde woman shot him a puzzled look and Sirius held up his hand, clearly showing the bruises that were just turning purple.

"Did _I _do that?" Piper asked, stunned. Sirius nodded grimly and tickled the baby tenderly, avoiding her eyes.

"You blacked out… right after. The Healers said you were stupid for waiting so long. Anyway, official time of birth is 3:25am, 29th July 1980." he murmured. Piper bit her lip and raised one trembling hand to touch his face.

"If it weren't for you, we wouldn't be here. Adelaide and I." she whispered. Sirius' eyes shot to the little baby, who had a fine head of dark hair already, and back to Piper.

"Adelaide?" Sirius asked.

"It means noble."

"That's a Gryffindor trait." Piper didn't grace that with a reply as she took in every inch of her daughter. The fine jet-black hair that was dead flat against her head, the creamy skin just a little paler than Piper's, the wide dark eyes… his eyes. Adelaide cooed again and her tiny fingers forced their way up to touch Piper's face.

"I hope she becomes just like them, too." she whispered. Sirius smiled and rested his head against her shoulder. Piper didn't protest.

-[-]-

Two days later, Piper was let out of the hospital. She instantly accompanied Sirius to see a heavily pregnant Lily and James, who both cooed over baby Adelaide until the child felt quite spoiled. She was very well behaved, too, and took everything in her stride. Even the rather loud arrival of Remus and Ally- she had recently learned to drive- didn't upset Adelaide, who screamed with delight at the sight of her godfather. It was an agreement between James and Piper- Remus would be godfather to Adelaide, and Sirius would be godfather to James' unborn.

"She's beautiful. Curls already- you used to have them, Piper?" Lily mused, fluffing the downy black curls on Adelaide's head. Piper nodded and smiled proudly, aching to hold her baby again.

"Still do. This is all magic." Piper replied, flicking her straight blonde locks from her eyes. Reluctantly, Lily lifted Adelaide's small weight from her stomach and handed the baby on to Remus.

"She was early, right?" Ally asked, smiling softly at her fiancé's attitude with Adelaide.

"Yeah. Two weeks in fact." Piper confirmed. She'd been asked that same question four times- first by James, then Remus when he'd come alone to visit, and Lily who wasn't with James when he'd asked, and now Ally.

"Guess she was eager to be a July baby, huh?" James repeated the same words he'd said the day Adelaide was born. Piper's eyes darkened and her gaze flickered to Lily. Although the movement was tiny, everyone in the room seemed to pick it up.

"No sign yet." Lily's voice was overly loud and Piper had the sudden impression that this wasn't the first time someone expressed concern. If the baby held off one more day… he or she would be safe. If Lily could just hold on…

"Then I shall pray that remains so until tomorrow." Piper murmured reassuringly. Lily's eyes watered and she looked down at her swollen stomach, her lips moving rapidly in a prayer.

"Guide us with your grace, lead us to a place where we'll be safe." Piper said, her voice soft but in the brooding silence of the room everyone heard it. Lily's green eyes shot up to meet darker, sea green ones and she nodded softly.

"Let this be our prayer." she murmured, a hand on her stomach. Bowing their heads, some for the first time, the group of six prayed silently as the sun set outside. Piper was the first to raise her head and glance at the clock hanging behind Lily's red-as-ever head.

"Six hours, Lily." she announced. With a delighted smile, Lily took James' hands and hauled him to his feet, dancing around the room. Instantly Ally and Piper were on their feet, trying to catch the couple to stop Lily from exerting herself. Adelaide was handed quickly to Remus- neither of whom had any objections- as Piper managed to gently separate the two.

"Keep that up, Lily Potter, and you could go at any moment!" Ally snapped, petting James' hand comfortingly. Lily looked shocked, her eyes widening and her mouth falling open in a delicate 'o' of surprise.

"Oops?" she asked. Suddenly, Sirius laughed out loud, startling everyone in the room.

"Why are we doing this? Who cares if your kid's born tonight? Nothing's gonna happen- he or she's got the best protection in the world! Two Healers, three Aurors, a Defence Against the Dark Arts specialist, Dumbledore, the _entire _Order-"

"In which there is a mole. Were you not listening at the last meeting?" Remus informed them all quietly, rocking a whimpering Adelaide in his arms. Piper adopted a soft look, her eyes widening and a smile stretching her lips as she held her arms out for her daughter. Remus caught the look in her eye and his cheeks tinged pink, but he instantly relinquished his hold on Adelaide.

"You'd know about that, wouldn't you Moony?" Sirius asked harshly. His attitude change was completely out of the blue, unexpected… James spluttered indignantly, while Lily gasped and held a hand over her mouth. Ally trembled with rage and clenched her fists as if to hit Sirius, and Remus reeled from it. Piper stalked by Ally and slapped Sirius hard across the face.

"_Remus_ isn't the problem here, Sirius." she hissed. His grey eyes narrowed and he pointed a shaky finger at each of them in turn.

"Then why was he late to the Order meeting when Marlene was killed? Out celebrating. Why didn't he come see you until the day after you woke up? Didn't care. Why-"

"How can you say that, Padfoot?" the sound of Remus' voice cut through the tirade, rendering Sirius silent. He gaped twice then turned on his heel, stalking for the fire.

"If you ask me, Peter's been suspicious. Who here has seen him?" Ally recovered her voice, but it was laced with venom as she stared after Sirius and ran her hands over Remus' tense shoulders. Piper stared at her palm and wished she hadn't struck Sirius. Just when they were getting along so well…

"He's been doing what we all should be. Hiding." Sirius said, his back turned.

"What have you done with Sirius?" James asked, his eyes alight with hope but a scowl on his face that marred his handsome features. Slowly Sirius turned and looked at Remus beseechingly. The quiet werewolf just stared back coolly.

"I'm so sorry, Remus. I just let my temper-"

"You didn't think. I understand." Remus interrupted, his voice blunt and cold. The awkward tension in the room multiplied by four. Sirius and Remus both didn't speak another word, and in an effort to cheer the latter up, Piper silently offered a sleeping Adelaide to him.

"Uh… sorry to spoil the party…" Lily grimaced. James' brown eyes shot to her face, concerned immediately.

"But I think that was my first contraction." she continued happily. Piper gasped and looked to the clock again.

"Lily, no." the redhead shot her a death-glare.

"Sirius may be a thick-headed fool, but he is right about one thing. These two kids have the best protection in the world among our best friends… _whom we all trust." _she added the last part, staring hard at Sirius who just looked away and gained a pink flush on his cheeks.

"How long d'you reckon we should wait?" James asked, hovering anxiously with his wand in his hand and the other running through his hair repeatedly. Completely calm, Lily petted his shoulder.

"Not for a few hours yet, James. I'll tell you when it's time." she said reassuringly, slowly. James fell back into his chair and Piper examined Lily's face. The redhead had experienced none of the horrible morning sickness that Piper had, and so looked completely relaxed with the whole procedure.

"So, Edgar Allan?" Ally asked, gaining laughter from her six companions. Of them all, Lily laughed the hardest.

-[-]-

Exactly five and a half hours later, at 11:59pm on 31st July, two boys were born in the same hospital. The first, Neville Franklin Longbottom, was chubbier than usual and had no hair, but the most beautiful pair of brown eyes you ever did see. He cried for three hours until his mother was strong enough to be able to feed him. The second, Harry James Potter, had a shock of jet-black hair and his mother's bright green eyes. He didn't cry at all; just opened his eyes and stared calmly up at his weeping father.

Both were born on a cursed date.


	25. Happiness Is Brief

_25_

_Happiness is Brief_

_The first month of Adelaide and Harry's life is a beautiful, happy one, even under the threat of Voldemort's search for the Chosen One._

"Good morning, darling!" Piper swept brightly into Adelaide's side-room just before dawn, as was rapidly becoming the habit. The one-week-old stopped any major crying and just whimpered softly until Piper ran a tender hand over the jet-black curls. Now Adelaide gurgled happily and threw her arms about, trying in vain to grab her mother.

"Alright, love, give Mama a moment." Piper muttered lightly, letting out a light giggle at her choice of words. More specifically, the word 'Mama'. It sent happy chills down her spine, although the man Adelaide would grow up calling 'Daddy' wasn't Severus.

"You're a natural." Sirius said from the doorway, shirtless and bleary-eyed. His hair was everywhere, unlike Piper's perfect ponytail. She started slightly, having forgotten that Sirius had stayed in the guest room again. It was a regular occurrence, now that Lily and James were living under the shadow of Voldemort's wrath.

"Why, thank you Mr Black." she replied, handing Adelaide to him so she could flip the mattress of the cot. Sirius had been awkward at first when holding the baby, but he'd soon adapted. Everyone had adapted; even Piper. Her thoughts were no longer brooding over her lack of a love life; in fact, she'd even considered dating again, before she realised how hard it was to leave Adelaide lately. With the cloud hanging over Lily and James… well, it was hard.

"Any special plans for today, then?" Sirius asked, circling the room slowly, juggling Adelaide to make her laugh.

"Not really. Might pop over to see Lily- she said Harry wants to see Addie again." Piper replied, summoning a papoose to strap Adelaide in after feeding. Taking her baby back, she stared hard at Sirius until he turned away, allowing her to pull down her night shirt and expose her breast to Adelaide.

"I'll never get used to seeing that." Sirius muttered, sitting beside her on the couch. Piper chuckled slowly and rested against him. After such a troublesome pregnancy, motherhood was easy. Although that was probably down to Sirius being sneaky and helping her in the middle of the night. After all, she only really had to wake at about midnight to feed Adelaide, and even then it was always Sirius shaking her awake.

"You'd better, if you're going to stick around." Piper teased, but her voice held a depth of meaning that took Sirius a full thirty seconds to realise.

"I might- oh. Oh! You _want _me to? Stay, that is. Really? Pip, are you serious?" he asked. She eyed him wickedly and shook her head.

"No, that would be you. I am, however, perfectly sincere." she replied. He laughed at her poor pun and slung an arm over her shoulders, kissing her cheek in a friendly way.

"I would love to… but this means no wild parties then, huh?" he asked. Piper shot him a side-ways look and shook her head.

"Not with a baby around." she replied. He laughed again and stood up, heading for the door.

"I'll get you breakfast." he said, smiling tenderly before leaving Piper and Adelaide to their own devices. The elder Sedona stared after him, a puzzled, goofy look on her face.

"Oh God." she muttered, as the realisation hit her. She was starting to fall for him all over again. _Sirius… Severus… still the same old problem… _she cut her thoughts off and went downstairs.

Their morning was pleasant; Sirius cooked a lovely stack of pancakes and made a brilliant coffee, before he slung Adelaide's papoose onto his chest and thread his arm through Piper's, both of them walking in the dappled sunshine to the edge of her drive, to the safe Apparition point.

"Together, or alone?" he asked, removing his arm from Piper's. She took one look at him before throwing caution to the wind.

"Together." she replied, returning her arm to his and holding on for the ride.

-[-]-

"Piper! Sirius- Addie!" Lily was certainly ecstatic to see them, and her voice brought James and baby Harry from the house and onto the front lawn.

"Hey, Prongs!" Sirius cried, reluctantly handing Adelaide to Piper as he went to embrace his best friend and his godson.

"What brings you here, today of all days?" Lily asked, a shadow of concern in her eyes. Piper stayed silent, wondering what her redheaded friend was talking about. Then it hit her.

"Oh, God… Lily, I'm so stupid! I completely forgot… I'm so sorry!" she spluttered, looking at Sirius furiously. With a sheepish grin, he turned to James and echoed her apologies. _How could I have forgotten that this was their two-year anniversary? What was I thinking?_

"Hey, no need for all that! We were going to invite you over anyways- as soon as we can contact Peter. He's been avoiding us, I'd say." James replied. Sirius looked concerned and joined James in kneeling on the grass with the women and children. It looked like the picture of a perfectly happy family, if not for the worry on all their faces.

"Avoiding us? But why?" Sirius asked, his eyes crinkling at the corners and his mouth turning down as he frowned. James shrugged and transfigured a leaf into a butterfly to amuse his son. Adelaide seemed distracted by a dark clump of trees, one that drew Piper's attention too. Something felt a little off.

"No idea. Probably scared, you know, because of the prophecy." Lily's voice became hushed as she stared at Harry, her eyes misting with tears. Piper shook her head.

"Don't dwell on it. These are hard times for everybody- just be grateful that you've got Harry… besides… Frank and Alice…" she trailed off, feeling disgusted with herself for even thinking it, but the terror and the agony on the faces of her friends indicated that they'd been thinking it too.

"We'll have to run soon. Just in case." James announced. Piper flinched and her heart hammered, a flare of hatred rushing through her at the thought of what their lives would become.

"What about the Order?" Sirius asked worriedly, looking between Lily and James. Both laughed without humour, their eyes on their son.

"James and I agreed that we'd die for him. Of course, our closest friends will know where we are- no-one else." Lily said firmly. Piper shook her head. If she had another encounter with Severus, and he discovered their hiding place… she knew he wouldn't tell, but she had never trusted Occulmency fully.

"Don't tell me." she said, sparking a cry of outrage from the three others.

"You can't mean that." James said once the ruckus calmed down. Piper smiled sadly and looked at Adelaide, who was now giggling at the trees. Following her daughter's line of sight, she thought she saw a flash of black robes, of pale skin. She knew it was probably nothing, so she held her emotions in check as she turned to the others, careful to keep her body in the way of any curses headed towards them.

"Grab Harry and go inside." she said calmly, dangerously. Sirius looked behind her and his mouth dropped open in surprise. Piper didn't dare look as she handed Adelaide to Sirius and the four ran for the house, Piper stopping at the last moment to throw up a weak shield. That was when the laughing started. A cold, high cackle followed by a jet of green light. Piper dodged it and felt a hand on her arm, jerking her inside. Adelaide was thrust into her arms and Sirius pressed a kiss to her forehead. Lily waited in the next room, saying her brief farewell to James.

"Come out, come out!" a woman shouted, and the house rattled. Sirius paled.

"Bellatrix." he snarled, half-dragging a stunned Piper into the kitchen.

"Go." he ordered. James nodded at Lily and kissed her quickly, making tears spring to her eyes. Piper turned to Sirius and, in an act of recklessness, copied James.

"Survive." she whispered, caressing his cheek as the house shuddered again and something exploded. Dumbledore's wards were holding up, but not for much longer. Sirius smiled.

"We'll be right behind you." he assured both Piper and Lily, before he and James turned towards the door and simultaneously blasted it open.

"Now!" James roared, just as Lily and Piper threw their arms around each other and Apparated away, both praying they'd see their men again.

-[-]-

Trembling, shaking and terrified. Piper was going through the motions as she lie before Minerva's hearth at Hogwarts, knowing Lily was doing the same on the couch behind her. Both women hadn't heard anything from James or Sirius for nearly seven hours now, and they were getting desperate. Dumbledore, upon learning of what happened, sent six Order members out to help but found the house in ruins and only the body of the Death Eater Avery smouldering away under a pile of rubble.

"James… please, James…" Lily murmured. Piper felt her face heat up and wished she could cry like Lily was, but her eyes remained dry. She couldn't bring herself to reassure her friend, because they shared the same fear. No amount of Calming Potions would help them now.

"Sirius." Piper whispered, her voice muffled by Adelaide's hair. The baby had fallen asleep about an hour ago, after playing all day with Harry. That had offered a distraction for their mothers, but now everything was quiet well… both their minds drifted to the last thing Sirius had said.

_We'll be right behind you. _

"Pip? You awake?" Lily asked quietly, her voice thick with tears. Piper nodded, then remembered that Lily wouldn't be able to see all that well.

"Yeah." she added, clutching Adelaide closer. Her heart ached for someone to hold her like that… preferably Sirius, just so she'd know they were alright.

"We're definitely going into hiding now." Lily muttered, sounding hopeful as she said the word 'we'. Piper's throat thickened and she couldn't bear to reply. With each passing minute that Sirius and James stayed missing, the chances of finding them alive diminished.

"Piper?" Lily asked again, after nearly five minutes of silence. Piper just grunted in reply, but that reminded her of Sirius and… that's when the waterworks started. She struggled to rein herself in; she didn't want to upset Lily more.

"Where are they?" the question burned in the air, a million possibilities rushing through both their minds, each more horrible then the last. Finally, Piper slipped her arms away from Adelaide and knelt by Lily, holding her hand and smiling down at a sleeping Harry.

"I don't know, Lily. But they're okay. I know it… I'd… feel it… if Sirius…" she said haltingly, knowing it was true. The… connection she shared with Sirius was deeper than anything she'd had with Severus. She knew that now. Lily smiled a watery smile and nodded.

"And I with James." she smiled. Piper ground her teeth nervously, longing to ask the redhead a question but not sure what the reaction would be. Taking a deep breath, she decided it didn't matter.

"So it's Harry, then?"

Lily froze, mid-sob, and stared. Her green eyes flew wide and her lips trembled, and it was clear to Piper that this was something the redhead hadn't even considered. Slowly, Lily's shock melted away and she was able to smile weakly.

"Maybe. Moody's checking Frank and Alice…" Lily trailed off as the door flew open and a scruffy-haired man barrelled into the room, tripping over three chairs before finally falling to his knees at Lily's side. Piper had moved to shield Adelaide the instant the door opened.

"James! Oh, James!" Lily cried, almost unsettling Harry in her haste to embrace him. Piper waited until the reunion was over to ask after Sirius, her heart hammering in her chest. James, his face wan and drawn, turned to her and bowed his head.

"Thanks for staying with her." he murmured. Piper scoffed in his face and looked away when he smiled gratefully.

"Sirius?" she asked softly, hating the waver in her tone and fearing the answer from James. She didn't want Adelaide to lose two fathers. James made a small choking sound in his chest, almost like a sob, before he burst out laughing. Both women stared at him as he rocked with silent hysterics, until he wiped the tears from his eyes and took three calming breaths.

"You won't believe it." he began, pausing to chuckle. Piper didn't see what was so funny, but she felt a weight lifted from her chest at the expression on his face. Sirius had to be okay for James to laugh as he did.

"It was just the three of them- Bellatrix, Avery and Lestrange. We both got Avery at the same time- he used to pick on Nymphadora at family gatherings- and then the other two ran off when the realised you'd gone. Sirius and I followed them back to an apartment. They made plans to leave for a meeting so we both ran upstairs- under the cloak- to sneak around. We were in their bedroom when we heard them coming up the stairs- going at it like rabbits. We both hid in the closet and… well, you get the rest." James seemed unwilling to continue, and his face adopted a disgusted look. That did nothing to reassure Piper, though, as her eyes unconsciously travelled to stare at the door.

"He's with Dumbledore." James answered her unspoken question. Piper made herself relax and wait calmly, when she really wanted to run and scream down the halls like a lunatic until she'd found him and thrown her arms around his neck and throttled him to death for making her worry so much.

"You can join him if you like." her scruffy-haired friend continued in a level tone, his eyes locked on Lily's prone form. With a disgusted fake retch, Piper stood and summoned a crib for Adelaide, who didn't stir when she was moved from the floor to the cradle.

"Will you watch her?" she asked, clearly expecting the answer to be a cleverly disguised no. James didn't even reply as he lowered Harry into the crib beside Adelaide and joined his wife on the couch. Rolling her eyes, Piper went to throttle Sirius.

-[-]-

She reached the Headmaster's office just as Sirius exited it. When he saw her, he froze in his tracks and ran a hand through his hair nervously, his cheeks adopting a faint pink tinge.

"Hi." was all he said. Well, it was all he was able to say before Piper threw herself on him, wrapping her legs around his waist and her arms around his shoulders, buried her head in his neck and let all the suppressed tears flow freely. Sirius staggered a little under her unexpected weight, before he pressed her against a wall and just held her.

"Sirius, oh Sirius, I don't… I don't know… I would have done… if you didn't come back… broke my heart… so scared… _so scared." _she murmured brokenly, unable to form a sentence to tell him just how much she'd worried. Their eyes met, and instead of the usual frustration and anger in them both, there was only lust.

It was Piper who initiated the kiss, once again. Sirius didn't argue as he bore her to the Room of Requirement on the second floor.


	26. Thrice Defied

_26_

_Thrice Defied._

_'Born to those who thrice defied him'. The Potters narrowly escape with their lives, while the Longbottoms lose their minds._

"Severus, you have done so well in reporting to me…" the silky voice echoed in the cavern, and Severus could help but wish that Voldemort would invest in better headquarters. He barely had his concentration back before Voldemort picked up on his train of thought.

"You flatter me, My Lord." he replied stiffly, barely bowing at all. With a snigger reminding Severus of a hissing snake, the Dark Lord waved his hands and a piece of paper floated to him, covered in names that had been scratched out. Only four remained at the bottom, but Severus couldn't read them. He wasn't sure he wanted to.

"Since you informed me of the Prophecy three months ago, I have been scouring the hospitals- Muggle and Magical- for babies born at the end of July. I have eliminated all… but two." he said. Severus had the brief mental flash of dead children, their bodies burnt and twisted, bloody and broken. It made him sick but he held his tongue. Voldemort had killed fourteen children in the six months since July 31st.

"The child of the Longbottoms… and the child of the Potters."

Severus froze. Lily… no. He cut his mind off from all thoughts of her; concentrating solely on what the Dark Lord expected of him. Voldemort was regarding him closely, as if expecting some sharp cry or reaction. Severus gave him neither.

"Now, Severus… which do you think will be the greatest threat to me?" Voldemort continued sweetly, pacing before his chair. He sounded as though he were discussing the weather, not the murder of a child.

"I do not know, My Lord." Severus murmured, wondering where this was going.

"Very well… I must be rid of both, I see."

"My Lord?" Severus questioned, hoping he wouldn't have to kill anyone- not Lily, even James. Piper… she'd never forgive him.

"There is one problem. I need you to search for them; infiltrate the Order of the Phoenix. Gain Dumbledore's trust. Find the boy!" the Dark Lord shouted, pointing with one knarled, bone-white finger to the door. Severus turned on his heel and swept from the room, only allowing his control to slip after he Apparated to his living room and, sobbing, fell to his knees.

"Lily… Piper…"

-[-]-

Piper woke to the sound of a soft male voice singing and a baby gurgling. She reached one hand to her right, half-expecting Sirius to be entertaining Adelaide by her side. Her hands clasped on empty air and she frowned in her sleep, before that frown switched quickly into a smile.

"Sirius." she murmured, thinking back over the last six months they'd shared together. It was as though nothing had happened between them at the end of Hogwarts; as if Piper's relationship with Severus had never happened. The notion was sad but… Sirius had taken to 'fatherhood' like a duck to water, and Adelaide absolutely adored him.

"Padfoot?" Piper called, not bothering to dress properly before she ran down the stairs in just a white slip. Sirius twisted his head over his shoulder so he could take in the sight of her leaning against the doorframe.

"Good morning. Sleep well?" he asked. Piper nodded and smiled, walking slowly across the floor to kneel beside Sirius and kiss his cheek very lightly.

"You're amazing." she whispered. Sirius chuckled and brushed Piper's hair away from Adelaide's searching hands.

"So are you." he replied, pressing his lips softly to Piper's forehead. She smiled and leaned into him, just as Sirius' hand slid up her thigh.

"God, Sirius! Insatiable!" Piper giggled, pulling away and swatting at his head. He grinned and left Adelaide playing on the ground as he stood with her to capture her lips in a searing kiss, mindless of her morning breath. Finally, Piper broke the contact as Adelaide whimpered lightly, wishing to be fed.

"Only with you." Sirius murmured huskily. Piper stared him down and neatly manoeuvring under his arm and scooping Adelaide into her embrace. The two sat on the couch side-by-side, Sirius with his arm around Piper and she with her head rested against his shoulder. The moment was interrupted by a sharp rapping on the door, which soon turned into a loud pounding.

"OPEN UP! SIRIUS! PIPER!" both the Auror and the Healer recognised the voice of Mad-Eye Moody at the same time, and it was Sirius who rushed to let the legendary figure in.

"What is it? James?" Sirius asked breathlessly, worry clouding his face. Piper silently urged Adelaide to finish, and she felt immensely guilty for even entertaining the thought. Moody shook his head, but he didn't lose his taciturn attitude.

"No, nothing like that. Dumbledore's spy has told him who Voldemort is targeting as the prophecy child. James has chosen you, Sirius, as their Secret-Keeper. And Piper… they've offered to have you live with them, in safety." Moody's voice was bored, brief, and wary, like he didn't totally trust the two. Piper shot a look at Sirius, and he'd gone sheet white. She didn't know if it was fear of the responsibility facing him, or the fear of losing her. She knew that, as much as she loved Lily and James, she'd stay with him.

"Thanks, but no thanks. I'm safe enough here." she replied, almost smiling when she saw Sirius visibly relax just a fraction. Her heart warmed at the fact that it was she who made him smile these days.

"You sure? With the young 'un-"

"Mad-Eye, no-one aside from my closest friends know where this place is. And only a few wizards- you, for one- have the ability to get in here undetected. Besides, Sirius is my shadow. I'm fine." Piper interrupted smoothly, settling Adelaide to her shoulder and rubbing the infant's back. For a moment, Mad-Eye stared at her as if he couldn't believe what he was hearing.

"If you think it's best." he conceded, turning back to Sirius without another glance. Grateful that he hadn't pressed the point, Piper let the men talk business as she took Adelaide into the kitchen to make breakfast for the two of them. She heard the door slam ten minutes later, and Sirius entered the kitchen looking weary and slightly afraid. Piper dropped the mug she was holding on the bench and went to comfort him straight away; Adelaide looked on from her place on the floor.

"What did he say?" she asked. Sirius shook his head and leaned against the counter, lowering his head to rest it upon her shoulder. Slowly, she reached up to intertwine her hands in his hair. Sirius smiled at the contact and began to speak in muffled tones.

"They're moving the Potters again." he didn't sound too pleased with the fact, but Piper didn't press that fact.

"Where to now?" she asked instead. With a great sigh, Sirius managed a slight chuckle.

"Spinner's End." he replied. Piper too bit back a laugh, but Sirius caught it and pressed a chaste kiss to her lips.

"Why do they move around so much?" he asked suddenly, his voice clipped and his face contorted in pain. They shared this alone; although Sirius never expressed his as much as Piper did. He usually comforted Piper when she flew into rages over Voldemort's relentless pursuit of their friends.

"To keep them safe. With the mole in the Order, it's best to keep them moving without telling people the details. Do we know the details?" she demanded. Sirius gave a short, bark-like laugh that was testament of his Animagus form.

"I do." he replied, looking at her pointedly. She flushed an angry shade of red and avoided his eyes so he wouldn't have to see the anger she felt, the indignation. Mad-Eye suspects me?! What outrage!

"Of course." she muttered. Sirius chuckled dryly and tilted her face up to his.

"Not all of them, darling. I only know the final destination." he whispered. Feeling slightly better, Piper ran a hand down his shoulders, easing the tension she found there.

"It's alright. Sit, I'll make you coffee." she ordered, and Sirius chuckled as he obeyed, scooping a gurgling Adelaide onto his lap. Five minutes elapsed in comfortable silence until Piper set the steaming mug before Sirius and began to massage his shoulders.

"What are we going to do today?" he asked, leaning into her touch. Piper shrugged, then remembered that he couldn't see her.

"I don't know." she murmured. Sirius laughed again, a carefree laugh that reminded Piper of the Sirius in their Seventh Year.

"Picnic?" he suggested seriously, and Piper almost laughed at him until the idea really sunk in and she considered it… a good idea.

"I'd like that. Just the family, then?" she asked. Sirius froze when she said 'family', his shoulders tensing. Frowning, Piper slid onto the table to stare at him.

"What? You know I consider you family."

"I… love you." the words, so unexpected and sudden, made Piper stagger and gasp in shock. Sirius watched and waited for her reaction carefully, gauging whether to move towards or away from her. Piper tried to digest them quickly, she really did. She knew he was waiting for some sort of comment from her… but do I love him?

"Sirius… I'm… flattered that you feel that way…"

"But you don't love me. I understand… Snape, still?" he asked, his voice showing his bitterness. Piper didn't rise to the challenge, preferring to ignore the tone of his voice when he said Severus' last name.

"No. I just… I don't know."

"Not a problem. I've… got a… thing… be back later." he said, standing swiftly and ignoring her pleads for him to remain.

"Well, I fucked that up royally." she muttered, tipping his lukewarm coffee out and taking Adelaide out for a walk. She assumed Sirius would be organising something to do with the Potters' movements, and she didn't trust herself enough to know.

"Dark brown is the river, Golden is the sand, It flows along for ever, With trees on either hand… Green leaves a-floating, Castles of the foam, Boats of mine a-boating, Where will all come home?… On goes the river, And out past the mill, Away down the valley, Away down the hill… Away down the river, A hundred miles or more, Other little children, Shall bring my boats ashore…" Piper sang under her breath as she knelt beside the stream in the wood beside her home. She wished Sirius was with her, but that couldn't be helped. Her happiness was a small price to pay for the Potter's lives.

"You like that song, then?" she asked rhetorically of Adelaide, who seemed entranced by the song. The baby gurgled and rolled side-to-side, spurring Piper to laugh and sing the verse again.

-[-]-

It was three hours later when Piper found herself waiting in the dark with Remus and Sirius at the door to a tiny house in Spinners' End. James and Lily had yet to arrive to this temporary safe house, where they would spend two weeks, before leaving again to go to their real safe house, with the Fidelius Charm imposed and all. Dumbledore had yet to decide on a final location, which was driving everyone insane.

"How do you think Ally's handling Addie?" Piper asked of Remus, who looked a little wistful at the mention of his goddaughter.

"Perfectly well. You know they adore one another." he replied in hushed, anxious tones. James and Lily were running just a little late, which was putting all three on edge. In fact, it was nearly twenty minutes.

"Of course." Piper murmured, falling silent once more. Sirius glanced her way before sidling over to join the conversation.

"Bet you wish you could be there- a whole night with Addie to yourself?" he teased seriously. Remus flushed and looked at Piper sheepishly, but she waved it off.

"She loves you." she said with a quick grin. Sirius flinched by her side at the word 'love', and she slipped her hand into his. He didn't pull away, but she felt him wanting to. Her heart burned with regret; she should have just said 'I love you' back to him… but she couldn't lie. Sirius was great to her, and Adelaide absolutely revered him, but she just didn't see him as a lover any more. The three lapsed into a silence for about fifteen minutes, until Sirius broke it.

"You have the time, Moony?" Sirius asked. Remus muttered the incantation under his breath and repeated what the spell told him aloud.

"Eleven." he said. Sirius hissed and took his chance to pull away from Piper and walk the length of the tiny yard once again.

"Where the hell are they?" Sirius fumed, pacing up and down. Lily and James were now almost an hour late and the small congregation were becoming frantic. Their orders were not to move outside the gate lest they give away the house's position, but that didn't stop them monitoring the time and worrying like crazy with each passing moment.

"Remus, look!" Piper grabbed her friend and turned him in the direction of the front gate. Sirius turned to look too, and in flew Fawkes the Phoenix. With bated breaths, the three stood frozen until the bird screeched at them.

"No, no, no… please, no!" Remus muttered, reacting first and rushing to grab the parchment tied around the birds' leg. He immediately flew off as Sirius rushed to Remus' side. Piper followed quickly, her heart in her mouth. Fawkes only carried the most urgent of news.

_Come to Hogwarts immediately. There has been an attack._

_- A.D._

Sirius took exactly one second to Apparate away, not waiting for his two friends and expecting them to follow on his heels. Remus touched Piper's elbow to get her moving. Shaking her head, she pressed her hands tight against her heart and shuddered.

"They're alive, Remus. Tell me they're alive." she pleaded. He gave her a shattered look and shook his head, screwing his eyes shut to banish the moisture.

"I can't. God I wish I could." he murmured.


	27. On The Run

_27_

_On the Run_

_Sirius, Piper and Adelaide run for their lives from the Dark Lord, leaving Peter Pettigrew as Secret-Keeper._

They stood, mute, in the Headmaster's office, the only sound coming from a sniffling Lily and Piper. The news was horrible, terrible... heartbreaking. Albus Dumbledore held a tiny baby in his arms, one they all recognised as little Neville Longbottom; now as good as orphaned.

"A-Alice... and F-F-Frank!" Lily wailed, only remaining upright because James held her so. Piper refused to look anywhere other than her feet, unable to summon the strength to meet anyone's eye.

"What happens to Neville?" James asked, sheetwhite and trembling. It was a scare, alright. After the Death Eaters had attacked the Longbottoms, they'd moved on to the Potter's former safehouse; James and Lily had vacated just seconds before. The mole had supplied Voldemort with the information on everything from Marlene McKinnon to the Longbottoms' location. Dumbledore shook his head and sighed, looking down at the sleeping child; just eight months old.

"He'll live with his Grandmother- Frank's mother- while he and Alice are placed in care at St Mungo's." he replied. Piper gave a small cry of outrage, and upon Dumbledore's questioning look, she shrugged.

"It's not fair. Alice and Frank we_-are- _the best Aurors I've seen-_"_

"Life isn't fair, Miss Sedona." he replied briskly.

"So the mole could be in this very room?" Sirius asked slowly, to clarify for himself the message in Dumbledore's mind. He didn't need it, but the question gave him the opportunity to stare at Remus and even Piper threateningly. Insulted, Piper returned his stare with just as much animosity.

"Don't! Oh, don't, please! There's enough fighting out there- we don't need you lot at each others' throats!" Lily cried, catching the tension between them rising rapidly. Remus sighed and shook his head at Sirius.

"Can't believe you suspect me." he murmured, sounding hurt. His already-lined face was contorted with pain as Sirius said nothing.

"Where are you guys staying tonight?" Piper asked, changing the subject away from the mole. Nobody seemed to notice Peter missing, but that was usual. According to Sirius, he had some sort of high-flying job at the Ministry, and he was working overtime. It was perfectly logical.

"With the Zabini's." James replied tiredly, sitting back down in the nearest chair. Lily mirrored his movements and Piper had a sudden flash of how much a toll this hiding, the constant stress, was taking on their physical, mental and marital health.

"Is that a good idea; putting Harry with that bunch of Slytherin outcasts? You know the Dark Lord wants them dead-"

"It's perfectly safe, Mr Black." everybody seemed to have forgotten Dumbledore until he spoke, but his voice was firm. He was watching each of them carefully; and Piper knew he was manipulating someone or something in his mind. Some form of twisted plan was forming.

"That big a target? Won't it be tempting for the Dark Lord?" Remus asked. Sirius shot him a disgusted look.

"You'd know, eh Moony?" he deadpanned. Every pair of eyes in the room- bar Remus- turned to glare at him furiously. Remus merely lowered his eyes and shrugged his shoulders numbly. Sirius' comments were just reflecting off the shield he wore.

"I'm sorry you feel that way." Remus murmured, stepping over James' feet and to the door.

"I'd better get home. Ally will be worried." he said, smiling at James, Lily and Piper.

"I'm glad you two are safe. More than you know." he added, closing the door behind him softly. Sirius looked disgruntled and he took a breath to say something, but James' withering look silenced him. Piper slumped in a chair and looked to Dumbledore.

"How long until the house is organised?" she asked, anxious to have Lily and James mildly safe. Dumbledore regarded her with calm eyes.

"A week. Once I place the correct charms on it, and the Secret-Keeper is chosen, it will be safe for the three of you." he said. James and Lily nodded, both casting furtive glances at Harry and each other. Piper was reluctant to leave, but she couldn't rely on Remus and Ally to baby-sit Adelaide all night.

"Do you need me, Professor? I will stay, but I should really go… Adelaide-"

"It is well, Miss Sedona. You may leave if you wish." Dumbledore replied. She tipped her head and turned to Lily and James, taking in every detail of them to store away for future reference.

"I'm so glad you're okay. When Fawkes flew through that gate… I felt my whole world begin to fall apart. For those brief moments I thought you…. I nearly lost my mind." she whispered, and James gave a funny sigh as he stood swiftly to embrace her in a hug.

"I love you, my brother." she whispered, letting him go to hug Lily too, a feeling of dread settling in her stomach.

"Be safe, Lily."

"Goodbye, Piper. Take care." James called, and Lily linked her arm through his.

"See you soon, my sister." Lily called. Piper felt her eyes stinging and her lips trembling, so she rushed from the room before any tears could spill. She didn't get far, however, before the waterworks began and an ominous feeling in her heart swelled greatly.

_You'll never see them again after tonight._

With a gasp, Piper turned on her heels and flung open the door, rushing inside to hug her dear friends once more.

"I love you." she said, her gaze sliding to Sirius, before she closed the door again and steeled herself not to go back.

_They'll be alright, they'll be alright…_

-[-]-

Sirius arrived home just after midnight and collapsed into the bed beside Piper and Adelaide. The elder rolled over and grasped his hand.

"How are they?" she murmured. Sirius grunted in reply and shifted his position to look in her eyes.

"Getting by. Did… um… you mean…"

"Spit it out, Sirius." Piper snapped.

"Did you mean it when you said 'I love you'?" he said bluntly, his eyes boring through hers. She wished for an instant that Sirius wasn't so surprisingly observant, because then she could maybe have tried to hide the carnal love in her eyes. _Yes, _she realised, _I love him._

"Yes." she said simply. Sirius' eyes lit up brilliantly and his hand caressed her cheek.

"Dumbledore says we have to move tomorrow, too. To keep them safe. To keep us safe." he whispered. Piper closed her eyes and began to move.

"Then I better pack." she whispered. Sirius caught her hand before she got too far and drew her back to lie beside him. With a sappy smile, Piper cradled Adelaide to her chest and stretched enough to kiss Sirius' lips gently.

"Not for another hour. Please, for now, lie with me." he beseeched. Piper nodded and smiled at him.

-[-]-

Severus arrived at the end of Piper's drive just after dawn. He ghosted along it, staying in the shadows until he was able to dart to her window, peering through. His heart sank as he saw her couch- that musty, dusty, stained old couch she'd brought three years ago with him- covered in a white sheet. The portrait above the fire was gone, and as Severus moved to the other windows, he saw the rest of the house was covered in the same way.

"Oh, Piper!" he called, hoping beyond hope that she would reply. He only heard the echo of his voice, and it broke his heart. Where in Merlins' name could she have gone? _Why _in Merlins' name did she go?

"PIPER!" he was shouting now, rushing around and around and pushing on the door and rattling the windows in the hope of getting inside. Finally, he levitated himself up to her bedroom and tried that window; it moved.

"I pray…" he murmured, slipping inside. He stared around the room and rushed from it without looking properly. He ran from room to room, looking for some sign that Piper had ever been there. The house was empty; void of any personal items, even the cupboard under the stairs was empty. Tiring of such a fools' errand, he walked slowly back to Piper's room and froze. There on the sheets sat a crisp white piece of paper covered in her handwriting… and addressed to him.

_Severus;_

_I hope you're reading this. I know you've been watching over me and I know I haven't been as faithful as I should have been. I want you to know I still love you deeply, but I can't live waiting for you to decide it's safe to see me. Sirius and I are on the run from the Dark Lord, and I implore you; don't try to find us. I regret leaving so suddenly and I wish I could have seen you before I withdraw from the world, but I don't know how that would help my situation. To be honest, it took me months to get over our last- quite literally. I don't know if I could handle another goodbye this week. One more thing; if you ever need a place to stay, feel free to use this place. We had so many happy memories… okay, not really… but this place is the first- aside from Hogwarts- I've ever really felt loved. And that was your doing. I love you still._

_Piper._

Severus pressed his lips to the page, knowing that her hand had touched it, and her love was written into the words. He only wished he could have heard her speak it; to remember her voice. She was already fading from his mind.

-[-]-

"Sirius? Where are we going?" Piper asked for the fifth time. They'd Floo'd to Hogwarts early in the morning, just as the sun touched the hills, and then flown for at least an hour. Sirius had hardly spoken all morning, but to be fair, Piper hadn't wanted to speak much either. They were both stressed and worried and… Piper hoped Severus found her letter sooner rather than later. She figured he'd know Voldemort was after Lily, and she figured he'd try to warn her.

"Sirius!" Piper called as he smoothly began a downward curve. She followed, one of her hands leaving the broomstick to curl around Adelaide's well-clothed body. Her landing was slightly stumbled, but Piper kept her feet. Sirius turned to her and smiled softly, pointing to a high-rise apartment in the middle of London. Both of them had a Disillusionment Charm placed upon them, so Muggles couldn't see them at all.

"Is this-"

"Yeah. I lived here for a bit after school." he interrupted, taking her arm and rushing them both up to the fourth floor. He pushed open the door and Piper smiled at the messy homeliness of it. Everything screamed 'Sirius', from the Chudley Cannons poster to the transparent cupboard full of Firewhisky and Butterbeer. Piper wondered how long it had been there, but doubted Sirius would have left anything even slightly alcoholic to rot.

"Home." Sirius murmured.

"Home, huh?" she teased, making him smile and shake his head.

"It is now that you're here." he sounded as though he were joking, but Piper had a feeling that he was serious.

"You're such an angel."

"Then you must be a Goddess."

"Huh?"

"Step up from angel."

"Sirius…"

"Yeah, yeah. You love me."

"I do, actually."

Sirius grinned at her and slumped on the couch, asking for her to join him. She did, after taking a slight detour to place Adelaide in her crib.

"So, I'm guarding the Secret-Keeper?" Piper asked. Sirius avoided her eyes and nodded, humming noncommittally.

"Yeah… yeah." he muttered. Piper raised an eyebrow and shook her head at him.

"You don't sound excited."

"I am. I'm protecting my best friend."

"And I'm protecting you."

"Hah. I don't need it."

"Aww, Sirius, trying to be strong?" Piper cocked her head to the side and Sirius took advantage of the situation to lean forward and press his lips to hers. She wasted no time in responding with a fervour born of pure lust and fear and stress. Not that Sirius was complaining.


	28. Betrayal

_28_

_Betrayal_

_Hearts are broken, families destroyed, friends torn apart… the Potters are dead and Sirius Black is a murderer._

It had been six months. Six whole months since Piper, Adelaide and Sirius fled from her home to hide in Inner-City London. Voldemort's attacks had almost ceased in that time as his search for the Potters and Longbottoms intensified.

"Pip, honey?" Sirius called, pushing open the door as he bounded inside. Piper was teaching Adelaide to walk, and the moment the child set her sights on Sirius, she gave a happy cry and toddled towards him. It had always amazed Piper how quickly magical children developed, compared to Muggles.

"Dada! Dada!" she babbled. Sirius gave Piper a grin as he kissed Adelaide and scooted around to make her walk to him again.

"Where you been all morning?" Piper asked, giggling at the toddler. Sirius shrugged and smiled, pulling a tiny pocket mirror from his breast pocket and kneeling beside her.

"Addie, you wanna see Harry?" he asked, avoiding Piper's question. She didn't bother pressing him on it; she assumed it was Order business, and she really didn't want to know anything about it. She was due to return to duty in the next week anyway.

"Har-Har!" Adelaide shouted gleefully, reverting back to crawling quickly to sit in her mother's lap.

"James Potter." Sirius said, looking at the mirror. In an instant, James' taunt but delighted face appeared in the mirror, grinning happily. Behind him, Lily waved and Harry copied his mother clumsily. Adelaide screamed with delight and Sirius grinned back at his best friend.

"Good to see you, James, Lily." Piper called, smoothing the curls away from Adelaide's eyes. She wriggled away to touch the mirror and wave again at Harry, who waved back delightedly. The two loved these mirrors; they were great fun.

"How are you three? Harry looks well." Sirius remarked, grinning and pulling a face at the boy. Adelaide was slightly jealous at the lack of attention paid to her, and yanked on Sirius' hair brutally to rectify the situation. Piper watched with fascination as his face softened and his mouth curved into a smile. Glancing quickly at Lily, she saw the redhead's face just as soft as Sirius', and her gaze was locked on Adelaide.

"Yes, he's very well. Flying on that broom you gave him for his birthday, he's a right star-"

"Just like his Daddy." Lily murmured, running a hand through James' hair. Piper smiled as it was clear their marital troubles were over for that moment at least. James beamed and twisted the mirror to show the broom and a baby Harry waddling as best he was able to sit astride it. The boy gripped the handle and looked at his father expectantly, waiting for the broom to fly. When it lifted just a few centimetres off the ground, Harry shouted with excitement and his parents could be heard laughing in the background. Sirius let his hand wander to grasp Piper's.

"Take his picture, Lily!" Piper called. There was a lot of rustling, then a click as the Muggle camera captured Harry's happy smile. James jostled the mirror again so he was the centrepiece once more and he brushed his hair away from his eyes.

"He's gonna be a great Chaser some day." James announced. Piper and Sirius laughed together at the goofy grin on their friends' face.

"Vain much, Potter?" Lily teased, pressing a kiss to the side of his mouth. James turned his wide-eyed grin to his wife, and winked at the mirror.

"Don't think you two wanna see just how vain I am." James muttered, lunging to grasp Lily about the waist as the mirror fell from his grasp. Sirius shot Piper a disgusted look and was just about to end the conversation when Harry's face popped into view, babbling incoherently. Adelaide shrieked happily and clamoured to get closer, babbling back at him with all her might.

"Aww." Piper murmured. Sirius laughed and smoothed her hair down, both watching the young ones have their private conversation. Adelaide let out a sudden shriek and she dropped the mirror, staring at her hands and wailing as the mirror glowed red hot.

"The Order!" Sirius cried, quickly shutting off contact with James to allow Dumbledore's message through.

"Meeting on 28th October 1981."

"Well, good to know." Piper said wryly, soothing Adelaide's fright as Sirius called for James again. Within moments he picked up, looking frantic and worried.

"You okay? What happened? Is Adelaide-"

"Order stuff." Sirius cut him off and James' face darkened.

"We've been left in the dark." Lily said softly, soothing his worry away. James looked away from the mirror pointedly.

"You're not the only one." Sirius retorted, chancing a look at Piper. She had refused to go on many missions, stating Adelaide as her reason. Dumbledore had, for the most part, accepted and left her alone. Although worrying about Sirius was stressful enough. The four fell silent, only Adelaide and Harry's babbling to break the silence.

"It's Halloween next week." Sirius remarked suddenly, with a wide grin that James was only too happy to return.

"D'you remember, Sirius, when we…"

Piper smiled and backed away to dress properly, leaving the men to reminisce and Lily to commentate. The ominous feeling was back, stronger than ever. Halloween; the day of the dead.

-[-]-

Piper woke on the morning of October 31st with a feeling of absolute dread in her stomach. Something wasn't right… anxiously, she looked across her bed to where Sirius would be- if he came home the night before. His side of the bed was empty.

"God, Sirius." she muttered, listening for any sounds of his and Adelaide's playing. The house was silent; all that Piper could hear was the sound of her own breathing. Quickly, with her heart in her mouth, she rushed to Adelaide's alcove while holding her wand easily with one hand. Sliding back the curtain, she spotted the sleeping baby and let half her breath out, still worried about Sirius.

"Thank God." she breathed, smoothing down the rapidly-growing dark curls. Adelaide didn't stir, relieving Piper of her motherly duties long enough to give a quick call to James, figuring that their faithful Secret-Keeper was spending time with his other family.

"Pip? What's up?" Lily answered the call, making Piper smile. She remembered quite clearly a time when Lily flatly refused to touch the mirrors.

"Hey, Lily. How's James, and little Harry?"

"Wonderful. Thank you so much for the broom, too. Harry's in love with it." Lily replied, giggling at someone Piper couldn't see. She assumed it was James and Harry. Rolling her eyes, she waved a hand in dismissal of Lily's gratefulness.

"Honestly, it was nothing. Gives James something to do, eh?" she grinned mischievously and Lily rolled her eyes in turn, smiling wryly as memories of their Hogwarts days rushed back to her. The endless pranks at the hands of James, the taunting and teasing… the love, safety… happiness.

"Tell me about it. Driving me barmy."

"As if he doesn't otherwise." Piper was always ready with a quick, friendly insult to her best friend. Lily laughed, just a little one, but her green eyes shone and it was a good image. Piper laughed herself, with sheer happiness at seeing her adopted sister still so happy, in the face of everything happening.

"True. So what's the call for? Friendly Halloween chat?" Lily pressed, and Piper's breath hitched. She smiled wanly, all of her dark thoughts from the night before rushing back into her mind. With Sirius missing and no explanation, her worry was on the rise.

"Have you seen Sirius?" she almost dreaded answering the question. What if it's his misfortune I'm dreading?

"No… why?" Lily's reply sent chills down Piper's spine. No Sirius, omnious feeling… something bad was about to happen.

"N- No reason. J-Just wondering, what with him your Secret-Keeper and all." she smiled, trying to convince Lily with her facial expression. The redhead didn't buy it; her delicate features creased into a frown and she looked at Piper sternly. For a moment, Piper saw Professor McGonagall and almost wished to be back at Hogwarts. It was still home.

"Piper." just her name spoken so firmly made Piper crumble. She looked away from the mirror, away from the concern in Lily's eyes. She just couldn't shake the darkness away from her mind; it was driving her crazy. Under any other circumstances, she wouldn't be worried about a missing Sirius. But these were dark, dark times, and Voldemort's evil was everywhere.

"I woke up alone, Lily." she said quietly. Lily gave a small gasp then a nervous, shaky laugh.

"He's probably at the shops." she said unconvincingly, as if she were telling herself more than she was Piper. The latter gave a mirror-image of the other's smile and shrugged, only half-agreeing.

"Why not?" she murmured, falling quiet at the sound of a small snuffling from Adelaide's crib. Lily must have heard it too, for she smiled softly.

"Can I see her? I miss you both so much… I wish I could hug you right now…" she trailed off, her eyes misting sentimentally. Piper gave a sympathetic laugh, trying to convince herself that Lily was overreacting, before she realised the nostalgia for 'the good ol' days' was with her, too.

"Same here, Lil. Morning, darling." she said, half to her best friend and half to her daughter. Lily and Adelaide held a small, fractured conversation before the latter started clamouring for breakfast. Piper said her goodbyes and 'I-love-yous' to Lily, and a tired but happy-looking James who popped up at the right moment, before the conversation ended.

"Piper! Don't worry about Sirius; he's tough. He'll come back to you." James' words of comfort served a great purpose. Piper smiled and nodded, silently deciding to completely ignore the advice. She spent the day fretting for Sirius, and then the night fell. Adelaide had whimpered almost constantly the entire day; picking up on both her mother's distress and the absence of her father.

"Oh, my darling… hush now… he'll be home soon." Piper soothed Adelaide's crying, settling her into the warmth of her crib. When the child still gave a weak cry, hoarse now from constant use, a long-forgotten song flew into Piper's mind.

_"I do, Cherish you_

_For the rest of my life_

_You don't have to think twice_

_I will, love you still_

_From the depths of my soul_

_It's beyond my control…_

_If you're asking do I love you this much…_

_I do…"_

With that last, mournful note, Piper set her head down beside her daughter's, and cried.

"I miss you so much."

-[-]-

At that very same time, just as children were finishing their trick-or-treating, a shadowy figure walked through the creaking gate and up the chipped concrete path of Number 11, Godric's Hollow. He looked through the windows, to be sure his spy was correct. There he saw the happy family; the scruffy-haired, glasses-wearing father, the redheaded Mudblood mother and… the baby. The figure let out a savage hiss.

_The child must die._

Voldemort blasted open the door, pure rage and bloodlust in his eyes. The father fell first; unarmed and unprepared, but still foolishly trying to protect his family. The Dark Lord heard the Mudblood screaming with fear from above him- she too was unarmed. He smiled to himself and ghosted up the stairs. One more obstacle, and he would be unstoppable.

_Now, child will die._

His shrill laughter died as the green light shot back and struck him in the chest, shattering his body and his soul. Voldemort screamed with rage and agony before he salvaged what he could of himself and fled. His last thoughts were vows of vengeance against the tiny, wailing orphaned baby.

-[-]-

A hundred miles away in inner-city London, in a trashy bar, a snivelling rat-faced man with a few too many pounds sat alone at the bar, downing far too much alcohol. His heart was slowly breaking and the drinks only just began to numb the pain. As the clock struck ten, he raised his glass to the roof and let a few sincere tears escape.

"I'm so sorry." Peter whispered. He had just ruined his life.


	29. Azkaban

_29_

_Azkaban_

_Her friends dead, her love missing and her mind is slowly eroding away in an Azkaban cell. Piper is thrown aside after the fall of the Dark Lord, blamed for the deaths of Lily and James Potter._

Piper shot bolt upright in her bed, and felt for Sirius immediately. Her bed was once again empty, but her apartment wasn't. She heard people moving about quietly, and she quickly sprung from her bed to grasp Adelaide close, jolting the child from sleep. At the high-pitched, indignant wail, Piper's blood froze.

"Piper?" it was Shacklebolt; and he sounded terrible. Piper relaxed a tiny bit and swiftly made her way down to her living room, stopping short at the several wands pointed directly at her chest.

"Kingsley, what's-"

"Where is Sirius?" the dark man interrupted, his booming voice sending vibrations through Piper's scantily clad body. More than that, it was the haunted look in his eyes.

"I don't know. He didn't come home last night- or the night before, may I add. Why? Is he in some sort of trouble?" she asked, genuinely concerned for his wellbeing. Kingsley gave a tired sigh and looked about the apartment carefully, as if he were searching for something.

"Have you heard from Lily and James?" he asked. Piper gave a small gasp and fell onto the couch. Kingsley still wouldn't look at her.

"I spoke to them both yesterday." she replied. Kingsley shook his head and, still refusing to look in her direction, clicked his fingers. A small man by his side stepped forward and gave Piper a nervous, calculating look, sizing her up for whatever was written on the clipboard in his hands.

"At precisely three twenty-five this morning, a call was received from a very distraught Albus Dumbledore. He was elated to deliver the news that the Dark Lord had finally been vanquished but-"

"He's gone?" Piper interrupted, looking at the disgruntled man to Kingsley and back again. No-one moved, except for the clearing of someone's throat.

"Yes. But there was a terrible-"

"You-Know-Who is _dead?" _she asked, joy rapidly spreading through her features. Lily and James were free- they were all free! Alice and Frank- free! No more hiding, no more scheming no more fighting!

"Let me finish, Sedona!" the short man barked sharply. Piper held herself in check, anxiously waiting for the Ministry officials to leave before she celebrated. Then something struck her as off. Why would five Ministry Officials bust down her door in order to tell her this? How did they even know where she was?

"Sorry." she murmured, the elated high deflating as quickly as it had arrived. The short man sniffed and continued.

"There was a terrible price paid. Two lives for his; the lives of Lily and James Potter." he finally finished, but Piper just continued staring at him, the awful news too horrible to comprehend. Her best friends… they couldn't be _dead! _Just as the world was theirs once more- Lily and James couldn't just die!

"Lily and James?" she whispered, setting a struggling Adelaide on the floor as her eyes misted over with tears and a choked cry boiled inside her. Her chest was tight and her throat was barely functional. She was irrationally glad that she was sitting; hearing this news otherwise would have rendered her unconscious.

"Yes. Your so-called friends; whom you betrayed." the short man added spitefully, and Kingsley was the only one to object. His protests were quickly quashed in favour of three men walking towards Piper before she could react; one lifted Adelaide into his arms and the other two restrained Piper to the couch.

"I… what? No, no! I didn't! Not them, not them! Never! Ask James- ask Lily! They're not dead, they're not dead… they're not! Don't say-"

"Piper Rosemarie Sedona, you are under arrest for the assisted murder-"

"I love them! They're my family!"

"- of Lily and James Potter-"

"I DID NO SUCH THING!"

"You have the right to remain silent-"

"Kingsley, please! Tell them I didn't- I wouldn't! I didn't even know where they were!"

"_Anything you say can and will-"_

"PLEASE LISTEN TO ME! I WOULD-"

"MAMA!"

"_Give. Me. My. Daughter."_

"Take the child away- take her to her Muggle Uncle in Yorkshire." the cold voice continued after a moments pause, reading the long list of rights to a restrained but still struggling Piper. She wore nothing but her sleeping gown and she was a mess; just last night, she'd been chatting happily to Lily, and now she'd just received the news that they were dead. Both of them. Lily and James… her best friends. Sirius was still missing; according to the Ministry, he'd joined Voldemort after selling out his best friends.

"NO! _Please, _I beg you!" Piper tried again, lowering her voice before she lost it all together. She refused to cry in front of these idiotic, heartless beings. The moment they realised their mistake, that Sirius had been the Secret-Keeper, she'd be free and then she'd mourn.

"You don't deserve it, scumbag, after what you and your husband have done! Betray the Potters, how could you?" the Official holding her spat on the ground by her feet and Piper recoiled in fright. They thought she'd helped Sirius? No… why? Lily and James… just thinking their names had the waterworks starting again, and then Adelaide screamed in fright.

"Just let me say goodbye! She's my daughter- you can't take her from me!"

"What, like you took Lily and James from little Harry? Didn't think about _that _before you sold them out, did you?" all four of the Ministry Aurors seemed convinced of her guilt; even Kingsley. Piper knew then that she wouldn't get a fair trial. Everyone needed to blame someone; and since they couldn't find Voldemort or Sirius, it had to be her.

"I didn't. On my life, I swear I didn't." she said solemnly, hoping that if she cooperated they'd not be too harsh. She had no such luck. Within an hour she was thrown into a dank cell in Azkaban, with just a few insults and profanities hurled after her. She hammered against the door, but the Dementors soon put her off it. She walked around the small, unfurnished room a million times, singing Adelaide's lullaby to calm herself.

As dusk fell, so did Piper. She pulled her knees up to her chin and looked through the tiny window she had, to see the moon half full.

"Please, help me." she whispered, knowing no-one would come.

-[-]-

Sirius prowled the well-lit streets, his heart hammering in his chest. Peter was somewhere near, he knew it. _Foul, loathsome little cockroach! _The Potters had been gone less than a week, but already Sirius' grief was sending him a little insane. Not only had he lost his brother and sister, but he'd lost his wife and daughter too. Piper was locked in Azkaban, and Adelaide was inaccessible to him.

"Come out, come out, wherever you are…" Sirius sung to no-one in particular, but it comforted himself. It was a game he'd often played with Regulus as children, and later with Harry and Adelaide. Now, he was playing it with Peter; only the stakes had been raised to a deadly level. Instead of the loser getting his face pummelled (Regulus) or a raspberry blown onto their bellies (Harry and Adelaide), the loser would die. Sirius knew he had the rage for it. All Blacks were born killers, whether they admitted it or not.

He just needed a target.

-[-]-

Her fingers were bleeding but she didn't stop in her work to carve another faint scratch into the walls. _Twenty-two. _she thought angrily. She'd been locked in the same little room with no living company for three weeks, and it was driving her insane. She wished they'd hurry up and schedule a trial, because she couldn't handle seeing her father die over and over, or the nightmare she'd been having of Severus, broken and bleeding in some Death Eater's den because he had possibly tried to bargain for Lily's life.

"_I do, cherish you… for the rest of my life… _what's the words again?" with a look of mounting horror, she realised that the happy lullaby she sang for Adelaide had been taken from her. Slowly but surely the Dementors were robbing her of her sanity, and with it, her memories. She could barely picture the dark-haired, smiling baby clearly anymore, and that was just three weeks in Maximum Security. Imagine three years?

Curling into a ball in the corner, Piper couldn't help but relive all her nightmares, her overwhelming fears. Before her very eyes, Sirius and Severus and Lily and James all floated around, glaring at her accusingly.

"_You were unfaithful!" _Severus accused. Piper flinched and glared right back at him.

"You weren't there!" she retorted. He scoffed and turned his back on her in true Severus fashion.

"_You're the reason we're dead! You didn't try very hard to find Sirius, did you? Maybe if you had, we'd be alive!" _James shouted, tears running down his cheeks. He too turned away, letting Lily step up to the plate.

"_Poor Harry, all on his own. His Godparents murdered his family…" _she trailed off, her red hair looking like a condemning flame and her eyes pooling with tears. Piper screamed in anguish and tried to reach for her, but the apparition fell through her fingers. Lily gave Piper a disgusted look and joined the other two in facing away. One by one, they were all turning away from her.

"_You broke my heart, Piper. You let me kill them." _Sirius said, his voice quieter than the others but possibly the worst. The accusation that she could have- should have- stopped the murder of her best friends struck deep in her heart and made her moan aloud. Sirius joined James and Remus suddenly appeared beyond them, slowly walking towards her. She feared what he would say; she didn't want to cause him more heartache, not with Ally's recent 'stepping up'.

"Piper?" his voice was more solid than the rest, and his shadowy form was reaching for her shoulders. _He means to strangle me!_

"No! No, please… Remus, I'm sorry, I'm sorry… I killed them… my fault, my fault!" she wailed, pleading for her life. Remus' face flickered with pain before his hand touched hers. Piper screamed, then looked closer at her friend. He was no apparition; Remus Lupin was real.

"No… you didn't know who he was, he fooled us all-"

"Should have found him, before it was too late." she muttered wildly, not totally convinced that she wasn't talking to a ghost. Just because he was solid and holding her hand didn't mean he was real.

"Piper… God, this is insane. You're insane." he sighed. Piper had to smile brightly at that.

"I know. Isn't it great?"

"No! No it's not bloody great!" Remus said loudly, his voice edging on a shout. Piper cringed and wondered why he was shouting, but cast it away from her mind. The less she thought, the less the Dementors affected her. It was a win-win situation; no thoughts, no nightmares, no endless screaming.

"Sorry. Look… I've come to get you out of here. Don't look so hopeful- it may not last. Sirius… he's been caught…" Remus trailed off as Piper looked at him carefully.

"Alive?" she asked casually, as if she didn't care. Remus closed his eyes so she couldn't see his pain and nodded.

"He… did something… awful." again, her werewolf friend halted in his speech to choke on his words. Feeling impatient, Piper restrained herself from shaking it out of him. What had Sirius done to upset the normally calm Remus so? Aside from the obvious, of course.

"What?" she asked finally, when Remus shuddered and looked away from her gaunt face. She already feared the worst.

"He killed Wormtail."

"He… _what!"_

"And thirteen Muggles."

"_THIRTEEN!"_

"With one spell."

"Fucking hell." Piper leaned against her wall, and felt Remus shift so as to be more comfortable beside her.

"Watch your language." he chided automatically. Piper gave him a 'you-can't-be-serious' look, and he shrugged in apology, wincing as a Dementor poked its cloaked head into the room and Piper hissed at it savagely, wishing she had the ability to tear its' head from its' body.

"Have you seen my daughter?" she asked suddenly. Sirius had better bloody not have touched Adelaide, or she'd kill him herself. She was already sorely tempted too anyway; Lily, James and now Peter. The Muggles… she could care less about. They were nameless, faceless beings, and although it was a terrible deed, Piper wouldn't weep for them as she did her friends.

"They won't tell me where she is." Remus replied bitterly. Piper exhaled and squeezed her eyes shut. She should've known. No-one on the outside would be able to find Adelaide- not without their being some sort of relation to the child. That left only Severus, but he didn't know of her.

"Christ." she swore, and Remus gave a little choke as if he were to reprimand her again, but thought better of it. Piper smiled bitterly.

"How do you survive in here?" he asked suddenly, looking at the four bare, identical walls. Piper heard the unspoken part of his question and shrugged.

"I already am crazy, Remus. I survive… by surviving, I guess. There's no real secret to it; just don't get too happy or they'll suck it right out of you." she replied, indicating the guards with a shake of her head. Remus shook his own and looked away from her, his breathing shallow and uneven.

"You don't deserve this." he replied. Piper gave a short, bark-like laugh.

"Funny. That's what they said when the took my daughter." she replied, regretting the words when Remus flinched and hissed in pain. She realised she'd struck a nerve and scrambled desperately for some topic to ease it. Seeing Remus upset made her feel worse.

"Did you say you came to bail me?" she asked. Remus brightened considerably as he rose in one smooth movement, pulling the less-agile Piper to her feet. His eyes gleamed suddenly and Piper was granted a quick glimpse of Moony the Marauder.

"And you call yourself a Quidditch Player." he teased seriously. Piper shoved him to one side, but her efforts barely made him stumble. With a barely disguised grin, he slung his arm across her shoulders and lead her from the pit of hell the Ministry had the cheek to call a 'humane prison'.

"Remus? Thank you." Piper squeezed his middle as they entered what little sunlight filtered through the clouds. As the prison doors slammed shut behind them, she thought she heard a piercing, canine howl. She didn't look back, fearing the ghosts she knew would haunt her forever.

-[-]-

Sirius sat alone in his cell, hearing footsteps pass by his door. They sounded so familiar; a loping gait followed by quick feather-light steps.

"Remus? Thank you." one of them spoke, and Sirius bounded to the door, just catching a glimpse of a tattered, blonde-haired form embracing a tall brunette man before the door slammed shut and a Dementor loomed in front of his face. Sirius darted back to the furthest corner, and howled.

"Piper!"


	30. All I've Ever Known

_30_

_All I've Ever Known._

_In order to keep her daughter, Piper must leave behind all she's ever known._

In the week following her 'escape' from Azkaban, Piper set about searching for her daughter. Dumbledore; the man responsible for sending Remus to fetch her, told Piper to find her brother. It took her two days, but finally Thomas Sedona was located with a very unhappy Adelaide. The child was thin and pale and constantly crying, but the moment she set eyes on her mother and godfather- Remus hadn't left Piper's side-, Adelaide burst into giggles and smiles.

"She's a handful. Wouldn't stop complaining since I got her!" Thomas was more than happy to let Adelaide leave his care. Piper shot her older brother a harsh look.

"When armed men rip you from your mother's arms and hand you off to a total stranger, you don't just forget and get over it." she snapped, cradling her daughter as though she were the most precious thing in the world. In Piper's world, she was.

"Alright, alright. No need to get snippy, Mrs Fugitive-From-Justice." Thomas meant it as a joke, but both Piper and Remus flinched and glared at him with a look of pure rage on their faces.

"You have no idea what I'm running from." she snarled. Remus touched her arm gently and turned her away.

"Thanks for taking such… _good_… care of Adelaide." he said reproachfully, wanting to get his last remaining friend and goddaughter away from the unhappy Muggle so he could try to heal them both. It had been a traumatic month for all of them; Remus knew his transformation that coming Monday would be utter hell. His first alone in nearly twelve years. Piper broke down as they Apparated back to her old cottage, and refused to enter the door. She feared seeing the letter she wrote so long ago still there; it would mean Severus hadn't seen it.

"Piper… please-"

"Remus, just give me a minute. It's been almost nine months." she said sharply, smiling softly when Remus nodded and opened the door himself, taking Adelaide and heating some mushed carrots for her. When the toddler was settled, he returned to the front porch to see a sobbing Piper curled up on the ground. Rushing to her side, he didn't try to make her move. Instead, he joined her there and wrapped her in his arms.

It was then and there Piper finally allowed the horror to sink in.

_You'll never see them again._

-[-]-

Dumbledore arrived at the little cottage that evening with a look of such restrained sorrow on his face that it sent chills down Piper and Remus' spines. Something was wrong; what, they had yet to learn. At least they didn't have to fear more Dark Lord attacks.

"Have a lemon drop." Piper offered, hoping the Headmaster would decline in favour of delivering them another blow. She was disappointed; he took a sweet and sucked on it for at least a minute, leaving the two other adults practically bouncing in their seats. Finally, he looked sternly at Remus and Piper, readying himself for what he was about to say.

"I know the Dark Lord has fallen, but we lost many professional Aurors during his reign. We- that is, the Order- need to band together stronger now than ever. I want you two to be part of the Round-Up Task Force." he said quietly, his face a mask of blank detachment. Piper nearly blew a gasket.

"You still trust me?"

"Miss Sedona, I do." he was quick to reassure her, and Piper fell silent. Remus was yet to say anything, but Piper could feel hesitation and fear radiating from him. Both had an idea of just how dangerous life would be in the field.

"What about Adelaide?" Remus asked bluntly, beating Piper to the punch. Dumbledore's gaze slid away from Piper's and she felt her heart sink. It would not be good news.

"She may have to be left in the care of another."

"No." Piper said almost instantly. Both Remus and Dumbledore turned to her pleadingly.

"If it's safer for her, it may be best." the former whispered deploringly. Piper shook her head stubbornly, inwardly refusing the position.

"Can I keep her and still help you?" she asked, praying as hard as she could that the headmaster would say yes. She felt Remus touch her arm gently, and the tremble of his fingers on her skin. Looking up at Dumbledore, she silently willed him to say yes. Piper wanted nothing more than to see Severus, to introduce him to his daughter; to stay and help the world recover.

"The Ministry would not allow it." Dumbledore said gently, his body stiffening with anxiety. Piper chewed her lip and grasped Remus' fingers, looking from him to the headmaster and back again.

"Could… I… perhaps, Headmaster, could I adopt Adelaide as my own? That way, technically, Piper gets to keep her…" Remus put the idea forward, making Piper throw her arms around him. Dumbledore's gaze dropped and the reply was obvious. The _MInistry _would not allow it. With their blood boiling, Remus and Piper stared at the Headmaster and waited for him to present a solution; or at least, let Piper remain a mother without the pressures of fighting.

"The only way for Piper- as a suspected criminal- to keep Adelaide would be to leave the country." he said. Piper looked at Remus, his face sallow and resigned. He knew what her decision was before she did.

"Then I shall."

"No-" Remus cut off his own choked cry and looked away. Piper's heart gave a jerk of pain and she forced herself to remain strong. He'd be okay; he was strong.

"Are you sure? No-one must know of your location but myself and Remus, if you wish him to." Dumbledore warned. Piper turned to her only surviving friend and grasped his hand tightly, willing herself not to cry.

"Remus-"

"It's okay. I'd- I'd… do the same." he stammered a little and Piper had to hug him, mainly to hide her tears before facing the headmaster once more. Remus refused to look at either of them, hiding his own misery.

"Then I will arrange for you to leave at first light; we can't delay. The Ministry are still convinced that you were an accessory- they may decide to take Adelaide from you." Dumbledore stood swiftly, swooping from the room with just a brief order for Piper to pack her bags and get some sleep. As the door hissed closed, Remus slumped back in his chair, regarding Piper through carefully guarded eyes.

"I'm sorry." she said finally, unable to move from the couch. Remus shook his head and silently lead the way up to her bedroom, to help her decide which parts of her life she'd leave behind.

"I'll miss you both." Remus murmured as he handed Piper a magically rolled-up Chudley Cannons poster, signed by Sirius in a fit of ambitious pride. She shook her head and returned it to the wall where it would stay.

"I don't want her to know what we've lost." she offered as an excuse, her eyes on the penmanship she now loathed. Remus gave a small sigh and silently nodded, situating himself on the bed to watch her carefully.

They cried silently the entire time.


	31. Epilogue

_30_

_Epilogue- One Week Later…_

_Piper and Adelaide settle down in Echo Forest, Texas, in a safe house carefully arranged by Dumbledore._

"Here we are, kid." Piper murmured, cradling a toddling Adelaide to her. The girl gurgled, her black curls bouncing as she struggled to be let down. Relenting as always when the girl begged for something, Piper complied and let the child slide from her hip.

"Not too far, Addie!" Piper called, levitating the large suitcase bewitched to hold all their belongings. Adelaide had already disappeared into the living room, but her mother didn't worry- she could still hear the delighted squeals as she found something new to captivate her imagination.

"Mama! Mama!" Adelaide cried suddenly, her voice high with fear. Dropping everything but her wand, Piper rushed to her daughter's aide.

"Addie? What is it, darling?"

"Pider!" Adelaide said, pointing and pouting. Piper followed her daughter's gaze and saw the object of her terror. A tiny, Knut-sized spider crawling up the wall. Restraining her amusement, Piper knelt down beside Adelaide with a comforting smile.

"Did the spider scare you, baby girl?" she asked softly. Adelaide pouted again and nodded, tears welling in her large dark eyes.

"Shall I put him outside?" Piper continued. Adelaide suddenly grinned and nodded.

"Yay! No more pider! Pider bye-bye!" she sang, waving as Piper levitated the little insect through the window. Still holding back her laughter, Piper turned to her two-year-old daughter and put her hands on her hips, nodding seriously.

"Spider's gone!" she announced. Adelaide cheered.

"Yay! No more pider Mama!" she shouted happily, darting through the door and up the stairs. Piper shook her head.

"You come get me if you see anymore spiders, baby girl!" Piper called. Adelaide giggled happily, continuing on with whatever game she'd invented as her mother continued to unpack the various objects of furniture, shrunk to fit in the case. Finally, Piper's new house in Echo Forest, Texas was furnished, decorated and a _home. _Taking one last, longing look at her school trunk, Piper closed the lid and slid it under the stairs, sniffling back her tears.

"Goodbye, Hogwarts. Goodbye Lily and James and Peter and Harry and Remus and Ally and Saint Mungo's and Dumbledore. Goodbye… Severus." she whispered, kneeling on the floor and leaning her head against the door. She could almost feel the trunk's longing to be filled with Honeydukes sweets, old parchment and letters from friends, robes that she hardly ever wore, and whatever else she felt the need to take to Hogwarts with her. Closing that trunk away was a symbol of all she lost. Of all she would never have- James, Lily, Sirius, Harry, Peter… everyone. Even Remus and Ally- they'd gone their separate ways, both in hiding to further protect Harry.

"Mama?" Adelaide's small voice came from beside her. Piper looked up and had to smile. The child had found a piece of parchment, probably a shopping list that had fallen from Piper's pocket.

"Mama okay?" Adelaide whimpered, taking a tentative step closer. Piper bit her lip and wiped her eyes on her sleeve, smiling at her beautiful daughter.

"Mama's alright, baby. What have you got there?" she asked, shifting her position to cradle Adelaide in her lap.

_Piper,_

_I know this may be too soon, but I have a task for you. There are many children suffering the loss of one or both parents, and a small majority have nowhere to go. I would be very pleased if you would open your heart and home and perhaps take in- not all- but a few of these poor children. I would not ask you if I had anyone else I would trust with such a task. Please Floo your reply to me within twenty-four hours- you know how to reach me._

_Yours,_

_Albus Dumbledore._

"Oh, Dumbledore… not now…" Piper muttered, pressing a comforting kiss to Adelaide's temple. The child whimpered, feeling her mother's distress, and cuddled closer.

"Mama? Dumpel-door?" Adelaide questioned. Piper had to smile at her daughter's variation of the headmaster's name.

"It's nothing, sweet. How about dinner now, eh? Sound good?" she asked. Adelaide nodded and stayed in her mother's arms as Piper headed towards the kitchen, whipping out a bowl for vegetables and setting about making pizza- the Muggle way.

"_Some salami and zucchini and lots of mozzarella…_" Piper sang as she pulled the ingredients out of the cool cupboard. Adelaide scrambled up on a nearby chair and laughed, clapping along with her mother's very off-key singing.

"Pizza!" she shouted happily at random moments, making Piper laugh as she and Adelaide cooked the morning away.

-[-]-

Dumbledore had given them both a house a little ways out of Echo Forest- about a mile from the end of Black Lane- and it would be lonely for Adelaide to be in the large house without a playmate after she'd spent the first year of her life with Sirius, Piper, Remus and Ally, and the second year with Piper and four house-elves; that was the logic Piper used when deciding on her answer.

_Albus,_

_I accept the task. It will be good for Adelaide and I to have some company- and I shall always have room in my heart for another child. Just one thing, Albus. Harry. You know that Petunia and Vernon are not suitable to look after the boy- and after what he's been through, don't you think he should be with people who want him? People here do not know about the Dark Lord, nor the Boy-Who-Lived, so he would be safe from all the fame he would receive in Britain. Please, Albus, consider it at the very least._

_Yours,_

_Piper Sedona._

_P.S. Look after Remus for me. He's going to need it._

She watched the Owl disappear over the trees shrouding her house in secrecy, praying silently that Harry would be sent to her. As the bird and her letter disappeared, she regretted not adding anything about Severus- not that Dumbledore would have anything to do with him, but _still. _She couldn't bear the thought of him being locked away in Azkaban... surely he'd be smart enough to avoid it? _You know he'll accept any punishment as deserved, Piper._

_Miss Sedona;_

_Thank you for accepting. I can comply with all but one of your wishes. Harry Potter is to remain in his current location. Under no circumstances is he to be removed from it._

_A.P.D._

Upon reading the reply, Piper curled up under her sheets for the first night in Echo Forest. She cried then, until she had no more tears and her pillow was stained with tears.

"Harry, Harry… Severus… _Sirius… _Remus… I'm so sorry. So, so sorry…"


End file.
